At a summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, President Vladimir V. Putin offered free grain as he sought to shore up ties with the continent. But lower-than-hoped-for attendance among African leaders hinted at tempering support.
Patriarch Kirill I has offered Putin a religious justification for his invasion of Ukraine, while Pope Francis stands firmly with the Ukrainian people. The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church is a close ally of Putin’s, and has surprising links to the KGB.
Geopolitical analysts who view Russia as an unpredictable force tend to understand Moscow’s actions in purely worldly, political terms. German Professor of Theology Hubertus Lutterbach has uncovered a different message hidden in Putin’s religiosity an implicit threat to his neighbors and the world.
Since the 18th century, Russians have flocked to the healing waters of Karlovy Vary. Now, the Czech government has barred them from visiting the country, and the town must reinvent itself.