News on Moscow

Michelle Obama brings her superstar glamor to Moscow this weekend as she accompanies her husband on his summit with the Russian president. But the American first lady, who has wowed publics in the U.S. and Europe with her easy elegance and charm, will perhaps face a bigger challenge in winning over a Russian public that has scant respect for women who grab the limelight from their powerful husbands. In a country ...

Russia is using its energy wealth to shore up influence abroad, pouring billions of dollars in loans and grants into former Soviet states and long-standing allies — even as it faces its own severe economic downturn. Faced with its own economic crisis, the Kremlin could have downplayed its drive to reclaim its former status as a "great power" and fight fires at home. Instead, armed with cash hoarded during years of high oil prices, Russia has ...

Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev will likely sign a stack of agreements during their Moscow summit, but their chief goal may be for the United States and Russia to stop acting like adversaries — even if they can't be friends. Over the past year, already tense ties have been strained to the breaking point over Russia's war with Georgia and U.S. plans to build a missile defense shield in Moscow's backyard. With ...

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia hopes next week's visit by U.S. President Barack Obama will help restore confidence between the two biggest nuclear powers, a Kremlin aide said on Friday, after strains over Georgia and a U.S. missile shield plan. Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have agreed to "reset" ties damaged under previous administrations. They have made joint work on a new nuclear arms cuts pact and cooperation on Afghanistan their starting points. The two issues will top the agenda when Obama meets Medvedev for talks on Monday ...