MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. The Vatican is stepping up efforts to help settle the Ukrainian conflict; the Middle East conflict looms over the global oil market, while Slovakia has no plans to terminate agreements on the purchase of Russian energy resources despite potential US sanctions. These stories topped Wednesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.

 

Media: Vatican’s potential role in Ukrainian conflict settlement

The Vatican could play the role of an indirect mediator in the Ukrainian conflict. Experts believe that the Holy See’s top diplomat’s visit to Moscow confirms its willingness to participate in the settlement. Following his meeting with Paul Richard Gallagher, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s desire to continue cooperation on humanitarian issues and to resume political consultations.

If the discussion has already reached the stage of a high-ranking Vatican envoy visiting Moscow, it means they have certain proposals and are prepared to listen seriously to Russia’s arguments, Valdai Club program director Oleg Barabanov told Izvestia. Such contacts should be viewed positively, but the Vatican is unlikely to succeed where the US has failed thus far: bringing the parties closer to a mutually acceptable peace.

The Ukrainian settlement is currently stalled. The last time Russia and Ukraine had direct contact was in February in Geneva. Gallagher’s current trip to Moscow does not appear to be an isolated gesture but rather part of continued contacts with both sides of the conflict, Barabanov emphasized.

In the Ukrainian crisis, the Vatican is taking a cautious stance and engaging with various parties, Roman Lunkin, head of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the Europe Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Vedomosti. In fact, under Pope Francis, the Holy See has made attempts at shuttle diplomacy, and Pope Leo XIV stated that the Vatican could serve as a mediator. However, this elicited a largely negative reaction from the Russian Foreign Ministry at the time. Nevertheless, according to Lunkin, Pope Leo XIV’s position is still taking shape: the pontiff frequently meets with Vladimir Zelensky, and in the public sphere, there is an impression that he is more favorably disposed toward Kiev, to which the Holy See provides humanitarian aid.

Throughout the conflict in Ukraine, the Vatican has been very active in seeking a mutually acceptable model for a settlement, Valdai Club expert Andrey Kortunov pointed out. In his opinion, the Holy See’s position on Ukraine is more balanced compared to that of the so-called collective West. The expert noted that the Vatican may have concluded that the time has come to renew peacemaking efforts following Trump’s unsuccessful attempts, which explains Gallagher’s visit to Moscow. However, Kortunov does not believe that the Vatican will promote Russia’s vision for resolving the conflict; rather, the Holy See will attempt to influence both sides of the conflict and bring their positions closer together.

 

Rossiyskaya Gazeta: US campaign against Iran disrupts oil market, raises stakes for Russia

The US has declared "Operation Economic Outcast" against Iran and is threatening severe sanctions against buyers of Iranian oil. Washington undoubtedly has the ability to increase economic pressure, but Iran will likely retaliate. Together, their actions could permanently destroy the global oil market, which has already proven surprisingly "resilient," managing to achieve a certain, albeit fragile, balance since the start of the Middle East crisis.

Neither country wants to back down. Russian National Energy Security Fund head Konstantin Simonov told Rossiyskaya Gazeta that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is so dire that it would be difficult to worsen it further. According to Valery Andrianov, an associate professor at the Russian Financial University, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen by 90% compared to pre-war levels, leaving even the remaining 10% under threat. Another wave of escalation could lead to mutual attacks on tankers crossing the strait "with the blessing" of Washington or Tehran.

Experts do not rule out the possibility of Iran launching strikes against other countries’ oil and gas facilities. Simonov noted that Iran’s key strategy is to cause serious problems for the global economy, prompting other countries – including importers, producers, and exporters of oil and gas – to put pressure on the US. By destroying the production and transport infrastructure of other Gulf states, Tehran, on the one hand, warns the US against striking its own facilities, while also raising the stakes in the global oil game, Andrianov stressed.

For Russia, another escalation in the Middle East means that oil prices will remain high, bringing additional revenue to the federal budget. Moreover, Andrianov pointed out that Moscow can expect a reduction in discounts on Russian crude grades. Another factor is the threat of sanctions against companies purchasing Iranian oil or intermediaries involved in such transactions. Consequently, demand for Russian oil in China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil, may increase. Nevertheless, the escalation of the conflict between the US and Iran provides Russia with some protection against new American sanctions and aggressive actions against the so-called shadow fleet transporting Russian oil, Simonov stressed. However, Moscow is unlikely to be able to increase oil exports by capitalizing on the moment as it faces both domestic and foreign infrastructure and trade constraints. Russian exports are also being negatively affected by the situation in the Black Sea, where oil shipments have dropped sharply due to the risk of drone attacks, the expert noted.

 

Izvestia: Slovakia won't break its contracts with Russia because of US tariffs

Bratislava has no plans to terminate agreements on the purchase of Russian oil and gas, even if Washington imposes new trade tariffs. In September, the US Congress could pass a bill imposing tariffs of up to 100% on the largest importers of Russian energy resources. However, a similar attempt by Washington to pressure India and China last year was unsuccessful. Experts believe the new measures will not trigger a decline in Russia’s hydrocarbon exports.

Slovakia does not plan to immediately terminate supply contracts with Russia due to the US tariff law, Lubos Blaha, deputy head of the ruling SMER (Direction - Social Democracy) party, told Izvestia. "I doubt that we would immediately terminate all contracts for the purchase of Russian energy resources because of such a brazen and hostile move by the US," he said. The politician emphasized that it remains to be seen whether these increased tariffs will be imposed and whether they will apply to Slovakia, since "the loud statements of the current US administration rarely translate into reality." American tariffs, if imposed, will not have a significant impact on the Slovak labor market, Blaha pointed out.

Washington may exempt Slovakia and Hungary from the higher tariffs, National Energy Security Fund leading analyst Igor Yushkov stressed. For example, Washington is delaying the imposition of sanctions against the Serbian company NIS (Naftna Industrija Srbije) while negotiations on the sale of the Russian stake are ongoing.

In turn, Stanislav Tkachenko, a professor in the European Studies Department at St. Petersburg State University, noted that any barriers in this market will lead to a slowdown in growth or even an economic downturn, given the escalating energy crisis in Europe caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and declining LNG supplies from the US.

 

Vedomosti: Will Trump be able to rig his party's victory in midterm elections?

A day ago, the US Supreme Court ruled to lift a lower court’s injunction blocking key provisions of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14399, "Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections." The order primarily aimed to restrict mail-in voting. While the Supreme Court’s decision does not endorse Trump’s plans to restrict mail-in voting, it also does not prohibit him from doing so. The US Department of Justice will now be able to compile lists of voters in each state who are considered eligible for further verification.

The Supreme Court’s decision was a "small but not decisive victory" for Trump, Pavel Koshkin, a senior researcher at the US and Canadian Studies Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Vedomosti. According to him, the court suspended a lower court’s injunction against the implementation of the executive order on mail-in voting in 23 states and Washington DC, but did not rule on the order's legality. "Trump hasn’t won yet, but he’s bought himself some time," the expert pointed out. He believes that Democratic states will be able to challenge specific administration measures after they are implemented. The ruling introduces uncertainty into the prospects for further legal proceedings and may extend them, Koshkin said. According to the expert, the White House now has the opportunity to complicate and delay efforts by Democratic state authorities to block stricter mail-in voting requirements, even though the legal challenge process remains available. This is particularly sensitive for Democrats ahead of the November midterm elections, the expert stressed.

Although the Supreme Court’s ruling is pro-Republican and reflects the court’s conservative majority, it does not resolve the issue of mail-in voting, expert Dmitry Novikov stressed. According to him, the issue of mail-in voting is "purely political": simplifying this procedure benefits the Democrats, since their electorate is more mobile, and mail-in voting offers convenient options for those who live far away. The expert views Trump’s executive order as an attempt to create additional obstacles that "could deter some voters and give Republicans an advantage."

At the same time, Novikov emphasized that the Supreme Court’s current ruling does not address the enforcement of the executive order itself since it has not yet taken effect. Democrats are therefore expected to challenge specific measures in court, citing election laws and citizens’ constitutional freedoms. Thus, "legal battles over mail-in voting could continue right up until the election and even beyond," the expert concluded.

 

Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Russia becomes world's fourth-largest economy in terms of gross domestic product

Russia’s economy has become the fourth-largest in the world and the largest in Europe in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) calculated using purchasing power parity (PPP), Visual Capitalist said based on forecasts by the International Monetary Fund.

Purchasing power parity helps to compare living standards across different countries by showing the value of money and how many goods and services can be purchased with a given amount within each economy. Thus, Russia’s GDP at PPP is expected to reach approximately 7.34 trillion in international dollars this year. China ranks first ($43.49 trillion), the US second ($31.82 trillion), and India third ($19.14 trillion).

According to Russian Financial University professor Alexander Safonov, this year Russia has strengthened its status as the world’s fourth-largest economy, a position it first attained at the end of 2021. "According to revised macroeconomic reports from the World Bank and the IMF, the country has consistently held this position since then, ahead of Japan and Germany," he told Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

According to the expert, this achievement is due to several key factors. The first is a boom in domestic demand. The second is the growth of the manufacturing sector, which is linked to the withdrawal of Western brands. As a result, the country began a large-scale shift away from imports in the machinery, metallurgy, and high-tech sectors. The third factor is government investment. Budget allocations for major infrastructure projects and preferential loans for businesses have supported high levels of construction and business activity, Safonov noted.

In turn, Russian Center for Strategic Research expert Daniil Nametkin emphasized that the fourth-place ranking is a result of sustained economic growth and, above all, a recent rise in household income, as real disposable income rose by 23% between 2023 and 2025. Moreover, this reflects structural changes, as Russia is transitioning to a new model of economic growth based on expanding domestic supply.

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