Valdai Club

Sheng Shiliang

Denis Sekirinsky

Viktor Shakhmatov

Randa Slim

Gábor Stier

Michael Stürmer

Vladimir Sazhin

Mateo Rojas Samper

Emil Sayfullin

Ekaterina Shebalina

Russian Federation

PhD in history, research fellow at the Institute of International Studies at MGIMO University

Materials

Sword and Throne: What Provoked Trump’s Clash With Pope Leo?

The contentious nature of the relationship between the president and the pontiff stems from Washington’s expectation that the “American pope” would adopt positions favourable to Republicans. However, having encountered firm resistance from Vatican diplomacy, the US State Department has been forced to backtrack, writes Ekaterina Shebalina.

‘The Least American’ of American Cardinals: What to Expect From the Pontificate of Leo XIV?

As the first pontiff born in the United States, yet formed within Latin America’s pastoral and theological traditions, Leo XIV intends to pursue a path that combines global pragmatism with church orthodoxy, Ekaterina Shebalina writes.