Russia

20120801-192404-pic-311849813.jpg

Serena Williams of the United States celebrates her victory over Vera Zvonareva of Russia at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

CORRECTION Russia For_Star.jpg

In this October, 2001 file photo the Pyotr Velikiy, Peter the Great, Russian nuclear-powered missile cruiser seen near Severomorsk, Russia. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, File)

20120724-182950-pic-128418248.jpg

A portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin rests on a pile of debris at a flooded house in Krimsk, about 750 miles south of Moscow. Flooding killed more than 170 in southern Russia on July 6 and 7. The president is taking heat for a fumbled early warning. (Associated Press)

20120724-182950-pic-994474994.jpg

A damaged car suffered by flood seen next to a flooded house in Krimsk, about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) south of Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 8, 2012. The death toll from severe flooding in the Black Sea region of southern Russia has risen to at least 150. (AP Photo/Ignat Kozlov)

UN Syria_Live.jpg

Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari (far left) and Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin (far right) listen to speakers July 19, 2012, during a Security Council vote at the United Nations. Russia and China vetoed a U.N. resolution to impose non-military sanctions on Syria. (Associated Press)

20120717-201459-pic-718889857.jpg

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Kofi Annan, the U.N. envoy for the Syrian crisis, conferred in Moscow on Tuesday on efforts to end the fighting in Syria. (Associated Press)

Russia Syria Diplomac_Lea.jpg

** FILE ** Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at a news conference in Moscow on Monday, July 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

AP110117010139.jpg

Russia's Arina Rodionova returns a ball to Anne Keothavong of Britain during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

20120711-183343-pic-840102153.jpg

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (left) welcomes a delegation headed by Abdulbaset Sieda (right), a leader of the Syrian National Council (SNC), in Moscow, on Wednesday. Afterward, Mr. Sieda said he saw "no change" in Moscow's stance. (Associated Press)