Kazakhstan has asked Moscow to help bring home citizens who say they were pressured into signing military contracts to fight in Ukraine. The request puts a fresh spotlight on the vulnerability of Central Asian migrants to Russia’s military enlistment efforts.

After studying at Berklee and building a career in New York, Ukrainian singer Valeriia Vovk returned home to perform for troops, including near the front. She says simply being there, talking to soldiers and singing for them, has great value.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to Iceland, Greece, and Portugal on October 5-8 for talks on security, defense, energy, economic cooperation, and technology as NATO allies face growing security concerns over Russia’s military activity and continued Middle East instability.