Information Nuggets: Bite-Sized Insights for All

Introduction In the early days of 2014, Russia's President Vladimir Putin was feeling the heat. The Euromaidan protests in Ukraine had turned violent and were spreading across the country. In an effort to quell dissent, he sent troops into Crimea--a region that had traditionally been part of Russia but was then under control of Ukraine--and annexed it as part of Russia. The move prompted international outrage; Western leaders accused him of violating international law by invading another country without cause or provocation. The U.S., Canada and Europe responded with sanctions against Moscow: They banned Russian officials from traveling abroad and froze assets held in their countries' banks (among other things). But now Putin may be facing even bigger problems than those sanctions could ever create: A new report claims that he might have fled his home country altogether! Vladimir Putin and Ukraine Vladimir Putin and Ukraine have a long history of conflict. In 2014, Russia annex...