Russia

Russia is proposing peace talks in Moscow, and the U.S. seems to be backing the idea, but some opposition groups resist cooperating with a country that's been backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Igor Girkin claims to have touched off the conflagration, and he says he's proud of what he did. The former member of the Russian security service has a knack for turning up in tumultuous places.

"I believe in diplomacy, I believe in dialogue, I believe in engagement," the president says of Iran and other regimes perceived as U.S. enemies. But he says restoring relations is a gradual process.

The Russian economy took a big hit in 2014. The U.S. and other countries imposed economic sanctions after Russia annexed Crimea, but it was falling oil prices that really hurt the country.

Despite tensions between Russia and the West, Moscow is forging links with far-right, anti-EU parties in Europe. They're attracted to the traditional social values of Vladimir Putin's Russia.