The New Development Bank established by the BRICS emerging nations plans to invest in infrastructure projects in those countries and is considering hydropower and electricity investments, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said.

• February 26, 2016

Last July, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad seemed to be losing his battle against rebel forces. Speaking to supporters in Damascus, he acknowledged his army's heavy losses.

• February 26, 2016

Russian warplanes bombed Syrian rebel-held areas in northwestern Syria and government forces pounded a suburb of the capital on Thursday, ahead of a planned halt to fighting which rebels predicted Damascus and Moscow would ignore.

• February 25, 2016

Afghan officials took delivery of 10,000 automatic rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition as a gift from Russia on Wednesday, another sign of deepening involvement by Moscow in the war-torn country.

• February 24, 2016

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday he feared a U.S.-Russian ceasefire plan would do little more than benefit Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and accused the West, Russia and Iran of only seeking to further their own interests.

• February 24, 2016

Three men have been jailed for spying for Russia, Estonia's state prosecutor's office said on Tuesday, an unusual case targeting low-level smugglers that comes amid heightened concern over muscular Russian foreign policy in eastern Europe.

• February 23, 2016

The United States and Russia announced plans for a cessation of hostilities in Syria would take effect on Saturday but exclude militants from the Islamic State, Nusra Front and others the United Nations deems as terrorist groups.

• February 22, 2016

The agreements between Russia and the U.S. on a ceasefire in Syria are a real step toward halting the bloodshed and can be an example of action against terrorism, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

• February 22, 2016