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Outside of Russia, diplomatic and economic relations have seen their share of stress. Russia is often at odds with Western nations in its role as a United Nations Security Council member and has come up against economic sanctions by the United States and the European Union, most recently in response to Russia’s 2014 mil- itary involvement in Crimea and the suspected infiltration of the U.S. electoral system in 2016. Russia continues to work toward a stronger economy and a better image worldwide, despite continued crackdowns on civil liberties, reports of human rights abuses in places like Chechnya, and issues

In the News The Successes of World Cup Russia

Russia won the bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup back in 2010, and as the nation prepared for soccer’s biggest event worldwide, ques- tions were raised about security for fans and athletes, the possibility of protests or terrorist attacks, and whether Russia would be able to pull off the event with success. To prepare for the World Cup, Russian metro workers learned basic English phrases to assist foreigners. English signage was added in major thoroughfares and public venues. Service workers received training to impart a sense of welcoming, client-oriented dealings to counter potential misconceptions that visitors may have regarding the Russian people and society. A total of $11 billion was spent to repair and improve infrastructure. In the end, World Cup Russia was an overall success for all involved parties. No major security issues marred the event, and fans who flocked to Moscow to cheer on their nations’ teams noted the hospital- ity of the Russian people and the atmosphere of camaraderie both in and out of the stadium. Concerns about terrorist activities never came to fruition, and no major protests marred the month-long tournament. The only blight that surfaced appeared to be the stranding of over 200 Nigerian fans in Moscow, reportedly due to either being swindled out of their return tickets or not having obtained return flights in the first place.

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