Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared 2025 the "Year of the Defender of the Fatherland," but the soldiers whose patriotism he wants to champion could pose a threat to his rule when they return from fighting against Ukraine.

While Vladimir Putin has become the face of Russia's war in Ukraine, a billionaire businessman is working in the shadows and shaping the conflict. Konstantin Malofeyev used his wealth and propaganda machine to push for Russian expansionism,

President Donald Trump has made it clear he wants to see Russia’s war in Ukraine end, but his dramatic blowup with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday has thrown new uncertainties into the war.