Putin in Tajikistan to meet leaders of ex-Soviet leaders

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin began a state visit Wednesday in Tajikistan, a three-day trip that includes a series of meetings with leaders of other nations that once were part of the Soviet Union.

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Trade and other ties with Tajikistan and other countries in Central Asia are increasingly important for Russia amid sweeping Western sanctions over its military action in Ukraine. Putin arrived in the capital of Dushanbe and will hold talks wit