Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Gonzaga Journal of International Law

Abstract

This Article addresses the role played by the Russian Orthodox Church—Moscow Patriarchate (ROC) in supporting the Kremlin’s policy objectives in the Balkans, a region with significant historical ties to Russia and a common religious heritage steeped in Eastern Orthodoxy. In the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, concern for the region’s stability has grown. This is particularly so due to Kremlin efforts to deflect attention away from Ukraine by fueling ethnic, religious, and political tensions left over from the U.S.-brokered Dayton Accords that ended the years of war following Yugoslavia’s collapse.

The analysis presented herein demonstrates that the ROC’s operation as a nonstate actor faithfully advances Kremlin interests in the region through direct church rhetoric and activities, as well as indirectly, via its extended network of proxies and multilateral platforms. Both in the Balkans and beyond, ROC messaging premised on the protection of Orthodoxy and “traditional values” fortifies Kremlin efforts to undermine Western norms and institutions, destabilize vulnerable societies, and posit Russia as a viable economic and political partner and civilizational alternative to the West. The Article concludes by offering several recommendations for responding to the challenges posed by the ROC’s activism on behalf of the Kremlin in the Balkans and beyond.

Publication Date

2024

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