The Ukraine Conflict

With his party on course for a big win in legislative elections, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he wants to solve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, but that'll be easier said than done.

Examining Moscow's footprints in Syria and Ukraine could offer clues of how an involvement in the U.S. backyard could play out.

Internal political opposition and external pressure mean the landslide victory for Volodymyr Zelenskiy won't easily translate into the ability to steer the country in another direction.

The West has refused to recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea, instead demanding its return to Ukraine. In so doing, the West is standing on principle rather than pragmatics.

A more regular NATO presence in the Black Sea could drive the chances of more confrontations with the Russian navy.

Moscow's military superiority in the region is restricting the alliance's support for Kiev to symbolic measures.

Kiev is building up its forces and warning that it could fight back in a new standoff, while Moscow is telling the West to stay out of the conflict.

Kiev wants to remind the world of the Kremlin's military aggressiveness and boost the pressure even more on Moscow. But domestic politics could also be playing a part in Ukraine's maritime foray.

From Eastern Europe to the Caucasus and Central Asia, the areas along Russia's periphery will be central to the battle for influence between Washington and Moscow.