"As the world's largest nation, the Russian Federation has become a key player in world affairs since the turn of the 21st century. Events within Russia and surrounding former Soviet republics have raised questions about whether Russia's government has successfully transitioned away from the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union to a federal democracy. At the same time, international relations between Russia and the West contain echoes of Cold War distrust,...

As a landlocked country in central Asia, the region now known as Afghanistan has stood at the crossroads of empires from ancient to early modern times. Today, the country remains at the forefront of international attention as numerous terrorist organizations operate within its borders, and the ongoing war between the United States, its allies, and rebel forces is nearly two decades old. Rife with economic strife and poverty, plagued by terrorist activity...