Russia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin's Strategy Chess Bear (Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin smiles during a live video link with members of Russian Geographical Society expedition to the Southern Pole in Moscow's Kremlin, Russia on Friday, Dec. 26, 2014. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Presidential Press Service)

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Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev listens during a meeting with senior ruling United Russia Party officials in Moscow, Russia on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2014. Medvedev has warned that the country faces a risk of a "deep recession" if the government ditches its spending plans. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Yekaterina Shtukina, Government Press service)

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President Obama rejected Sunday the notion that Russia outmaneuvered the U.S. in a geopolitical chess match. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, speaks with members of the Night Wolves biker group in the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine, July 12, 2012. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

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Russia's President Vladimir Putin (behind) and Cuba's President Raul Castro attend a ceremony at the Mausoleum of the Soviet Internationalist Soldier in Havana in July during Mr. Putin's Latin American tour aimed at boosting trade and ties in the region. (Associated Press)

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Russia's President Vladimir Putin, right, puts a shawl on Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing, Nov. 10, 2014. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, welcomes President of Russia Vladimir Putin, left, at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, June 1, 2012. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

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MARIA SHARAPOVA -TENNIS Russia's Maria Sharapova poses with the trophy in front of the Eiffel Tower, one day after defeating Romania's Simona Halep in the women's final of the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, France, Sunday, June 8, 2014. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

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MARIA SHARAPOVA -TENNIS Russia's Maria Sharapova makes a forehand return to Petra Kvitov of the Czech Republic during their singles match at the WTA tennis finals in Singapore, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014. (AP Photo/ Joseph Nair)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin stands for a minute of silence at the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, Dec. 1, 2014. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

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Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, second from left, from Russia, celebrates his goal with center Nicklas Backstrom, left, from Sweden, and right wing Tom Wilson, with New York Islanders goalie Chad Johnson (30) nearby in the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 28, 2014, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Secretary of State John F. Kerry held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the closed-door nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna on Sunday. (Associated Press)

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Norway's Magnus Carlsen smiles after his victory in 11th game over India's former World Champion Vishwanathan Anand, at the FIDE World Chess Championship Match in Sochi, Russia, Sunday. (AP Photo/Artur Lebedev)

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An image of an apparently sleeping world chess champion Magnus Carlsen during Wednesday's Game 8 of his title match with India's Viswanathan Anand in Sochi, Russia, from the Twitter account @Rick_Chess.

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Russia is developing a maneuvering warhead for both land-based and submarine-launched missiles. Tests highlight Russia's development of strategic missile capabilities, including systems with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles. (Makeyev State Rocket Center)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with members of the All-Russia Popular Front in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Presidential Press Service)

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The Kremlin unveiled its latest weapon to combat the West's "information war" on President Vladimir Putin with the launch of Sputnik — a lavishly funded, international media outlet whose advent heralds a silencing of dissent and criticism in Russia. (AP Photo/Alain Jocard, Pool)