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citizens there have called for rejoining Russia as well, and skirmishes have led to the deaths of about 9,000 people since the spring of 2014. Because of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine, the United States and the EU imposed sanctions (trade barriers and restrictions on financial transactions) on Russia. These sanctions have had a serious effect on the Russian economy. After the Ukrainian government agreed to give more autonomy to this region, the fighting subsided. In the summer of 2015, Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko called for Russian forces to get out of Ukrainian territory. An uneasy truce seems to be in place, but the underlying reasons for the tension have not been addressed. Another area of concern for both Europe and Eurasia is the continuing crisis caused by the record numbers of refugees who have been fleeing Syria, Iraq, and North Africa. While Europe has been giving refuge to hundreds of thousands of refugees, Russia has refused to join any plan to assist refugees. Russia also has been at odds with Europe and the United States over the civil war in Syria. Russian president Vladimir Putin has backed Syria’s government let by Bashar al-Assad, sending the Russian military, especially air support, to join the fight against opposition groups, while the EU and the United States have been pushing to have him removed before any ceasefire between the Syrian government and rebel forces can be negotiated. As part of its involvement in Syria, Russia announced plans in September 2015 to establish a military base in Syria to defeat Muslim extremists known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS). Turkey has joined the United States and other allies in the fight against ISIS. The Migration Policy Institute says that Turkey hosts the

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S OCIAL P ROGRESS IN E URASIA