Corey Flintoff

In the first installment of the new season of Hidden Kitchens, The Kitchen Sisters explore how Sicilians are reclaiming farmland and providing Mafia-free jobs in a region gripped by corruption.

The Ukrainian government is describing its offensive against pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country as an "anti-terrorist operation," language that offends the separatists and Russia.

In turn, Russia is using even stronger language, saying that the Ukrainian military has launched a "punitive operation." While that may not ...

Moscow has accused the U.S. and EU of destroying hopes for peace in eastern Ukraine by supporting the interim government's attempts to retake towns occupied by pro-Russia militants.

Russia reacted angrily to new EU and U.S. sanctions, which were imposed in response to Russian interference in Ukraine. Russia's deputy foreign minister vowed to deliver a "painful" response.

On Monday, President Obama announced the latest measures aimed at punishing Russia for its links to violence in eastern Ukraine. Russia accuses the U.S. of "Cold War tactics."

Ukraine's interim government is facing major obstacles: a separatist uprising in the east of the country, an economy in tatters and a presidential election next month.

But the leadership is also facing a longer-term challenge, one that will shape the future of the country: the creation of a new constitution.

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Some analysts say Russia would have to act soon, while its overall military readiness is fairly good. But despite strides in improving the military, Russia still has a shortage of combat-ready troops.

President Putin was asked whether Russia planned to invade Ukraine. Putin said he hoped he didn't have to, but reserved the right to do so if he felt he needed to protect Russian interests there.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he hopes he won't have to move troops into Ukraine to protect the local Russian-speaking population, but he reserves the right to do so.

The coverage of the crisis in Ukraine portrays the government in Kiev as neo-Nazis who seized power in a violent coup. That narrative has had a powerful impact on the way Russians perceive the crisis.

Amid the Ukrainian crisis, Russia's state-run media has consistently covered the turmoil in terms unlike those used by Western media. NPR's Corey Flintoff reports from Moscow on the information war.

In the political battle between Ukraine and Russia, one of the biggest pawns is chocolate.

That's because the current front-runner in Ukraine's presidential race is Petro Poroshenko, known as "the Chocolate King." His billion-dollar empire was founded on candy factories.

Poroshenko's chocolate became a bargaining chip in the confrontation ...

Russian politicians are all voicing the same narrative: Ukraine's legitimate government was overthrown by neo-Nazis, while the armed men in Crimea are not Russian troops but local self-defense groups.

Lawmakers in Crimea have scheduled a referendum on whether to unite with Russia. Meanwhile, Russian legislators are considering two bills to streamline the process for Crimea to become part of Russia.

Millions of people in eastern Ukraine speak Russian as their first language. Russia's foreign minister complains about what he calls "neo-fascist sentiment" in western Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin isn't the first Russian leader to try to create a world-class resort in Sochi. That story is told in one of Sochi's best attractions, an excellent city history museum.

Deputy museum director Alla Guseva says the first major effort to build up the city by ...

The closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi featured a particularly captivating image: an aerial view of the coastal Olympic village, with the stadiums set like jewels among sparkling avenues, set off by the flash of fireworks in the night sky.

It seemed as if Russia, and especially ...

The contrast couldn't have been greater: the protest band Pussy Riot in colorful ski masks and mini dresses, attempting to film a segment for a new video on Sochi's waterfront; and Cossacks in traditional uniform with black sheepskin hats and riding boots, patrolling Sochi streets as part of security for ...

There are probably fewer American fans in Sochi than at previous Winter Games, partly because of concerns about security, and partly because of the time and expense it takes to get to the Russian resort town on the Black Sea.

But Americans are represented there, with gusto, by a group ...