Russia

Leo XIV, the first American pope, has somewhat overshadowed the popularity of the American emperor in Russia, acting in some ways as an alternative in the image of the "Anglo-Saxon" West so reviled by the Kremlin. After all, today the Russian Church has split from almost all the other Orthodox Churches, starting with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, while dialogue with Rome has never been interrupted.

The government in Tbilisi is proudly touting Georgia’s buoyant GDP figures, claiming that the economy has tripled in recent years thanks to its own policies. However, the real driving force behind this surge has been the indirect effects of the war in Ukraine. Around 100,000 Russians have fled to Georgia to escape Putin’s mobilisation, and the boom in less visible sectors of the economy—such as trade triangulation to bypass sanctions against Moscow and surrogacy clinics—has fuelled further growth.

The effects of climate change are becoming more pronounced year after year on the Crimean Peninsula, intertwining with a worsening water shortage following the halt in the flow of Dnipro River water after the region's separation from Ukraine. This has had serious consequences for local agriculture, which blames the water usage in swimming pools and tourist resorts—an attempt to support a tourism sector in deep crisis due to the ongoing war.

The 16th edition of the Kazan Forum, a platform for cooperation between Moscow and the countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), was held in the capital of the Russian republic of Tatarstan. Topics discussed included digital financial systems to promote the use of national currencies in Islamic banking, and the use of technology to spread Islamic culture.

During the official visit of the Malaysian prime minister, the two countries rebooted their historic economic, technological and cultural cooperation. Malaysia remains non-aligned in global power politics. Anwar said he raised the issue of flight MH17 shot down in 2014, after a UN body recently blamed Russia for the incident.

The breakdown in relations with Europe was portrayed by Russian propaganda as a bright new horizon for the Eurasian space. But sanctions have enabled Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to grow in their role as intermediaries in trade with third countries. And today, many migrants are looking more to the West than to Moscow.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Moscow, the "Power of Siberia-2" gas pipeline—vital to Russia’s economy—was once again a topic of discussion. Beijing is already supporting Russia’s expanding military production by supplying microelectronic components blocked by Western sanctions. The presence of Chinese soldiers in the parade before Lenin’s mausoleum also reflects internal political considerations within China.

Robert Prevost has never had direct relations with Moscow, but the name he chose evokes very important relations in the history of relations between East and West in the ancient and modern Church, from Leo the Great to Leo XIII, the pope of Rerum Novarum, who was inspired by the great Russian author Vladimir Solovyov.

Just as Putin today celebrates the parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with the leaders of all “friendly” countries, Dmitry Steshin—one of the most fervent pro-Russian war correspondents from the Ukrainian front—speaks about the tense situation in the North Caucasus republic: “Dagestan lives by its own laws, drifting further and further from Moscow.”

Along the banks of the Amur River and on Sakhalin Island, small ethnic groups have lived since time immemorial, braving extreme cold and remaining distant from modern-day Russia while preserving animist religious traditions. Documented by great 19th-century Russian explorers, today they are a small people of only a few hundred individuals who speak their own language. And they believe that even if they vanish, they will reunite with the cycles of nature.

The truce for the Great Victory is a game of roles, with Putin wanting to prolong negotiations and appear victorious. The fourth parade since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, on the solemn 80th anniversary of the end of the conflict against Nazi Germany. The ‘Russian mindset’ among the cardinals at the Conclave. The Orthodox Patriarch shows the ‘Russian paradise’ against the devastation of war.

After suspending operations in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, the fast-food company has resubmitted its registration application to the relevant office of Rospatent. While diplomatically stating that this is only a renewal of trademark rights, Moscow already considers it a seal of the new friendship with Trump's United States.