Russian Orthodox Church

October 18, 2024 | Ivana Stradner |

Don’t believe Putin’s lies: Ukraine is not ‘persecuting’ Christians

Conservatives should not be fooled: Putin’s weaponisation of the Orthodox Church is part of his geopolitical strategy

June 22, 2024 | Ivana Stradner, Kirsten Terrill

From Gaza to Global South: How Russia Weaponizes Neocolonial Narratives

Russia is spearheading a disinformation campaign to portray the US and Israel as a neocolonial villain – all while waging its own revanchist colonial war against Ukraine.

August 31, 2023 | Ivana Stradner |

Russia Is Not the Champion of Christian and Traditional Values

For years, Putin has sought to present Russia as the champion of Christian and traditional values. He portrays the West as a dystopia of decadence, where elites push “strange and trendy ideas like...

June 4, 2023 | Ivana Stradner |

How Putin is Using Chaos in the Balkans to Distract the West

‘Russia sees the region as Europe’s soft underbelly and Moscow has used information operations to inflame ethnic tensions, encourage protests and make arms deals.’

October 9, 2022 | Ivana Stradner |

Russia’s Sham Ukraine Vote Undermines Serbia’s Kosovo Claims

Vladimir Putin proclaimed Russia’s annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia Regions of Ukraine on Friday, Sep. 30, stating that they “are becoming [Russia’s] compatriots forever.”...

September 15, 2022 | Tanya Domi, Ivana Stradner

Serbia’s Move to Cancel EuroPride Shows How Vučić Plays Off West Against Russia and His Base

The Serbian government is moving to cancel a long-planned parade in Belgrade this Saturday as part of the annual pan-European EuroPride celebration, hosted in a different European city each year, after...

June 10, 2022 | Ivana Stradner, Dalibor Rohac

Hungary’s Orban Is Hardly a Model for American Conservatives

We are no progressives or mushy liberals offended by Mr. Orbán’s attacks on the left’s sacred cows. We are aware of the dangers posed by his brand of nationalism.

November 26, 2021 | Aykan Erdemir, Paul Gadalla

Russia’s Power Games Extend to the Orthodox Church

Pushing back against Russia’s multipronged assault on the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which includes Putin and Erdogan’s coordinated pressure on an institution they see as posing a threat to their respective illiberal projects, requires devising and implementing a concerted transatlantic strategy.

February 26, 2021 | Aykan Erdemir, John Lechner

Russia-Turkey Pincer Movement Threatens Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Survival

It is time the West offered robust support to the Istanbul-based Patriarchate – now being squeezed by Ankara and Moscow, both of which see it as a threat to their illiberal projects.

August 31, 2020 | Dr. Brenda Shaffer |

Iran’s Multiethnic Society Explains Why Tehran Fears Democracy

Iran faces the democracy conundrum: in multi-ethnic states where one non-majority group prevails over others, democratization entails risk of loss of empire.

November 29, 2018 | Aykan Erdemir, John Lechner

Erdoğan’s Interests Converge with Putin in Moldova’s Gagauzia

BACKGROUND: On October 17, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan touched down in Chisinau for a ...

October 31, 2018 | Aykan Erdemir, John Lechner

The Embattled Ecumenical Patriarch Caught Between Russia and Turkey

On October 15, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) announcedits decision to break with the Ecumenical Patriar...

May 2, 2018 | Clifford D. May

A little pivot to Central Asia

Kazakhstan is one of the ten largest countries in the world, yet most Americans couldn’t find it on a map. It spans Central Asia, home to the world’s most sophisticated civilizations...

February 17, 2017 | Reuel Marc Gerecht |

The Face-Off

Donald Trump has promised a foreign policy of muscular retrenchment, in which a better-resourced U.S. military intimidates our enemies without serving as a global cop. More than any pr...

November 22, 2016 | Clifford D. May |

Putin imperils religious freedom

Co-written by John Ruskay While Russia’s foreign policy was frequently discussed during this election year, Russian policy at home merits similar scrutiny by the American...

October 13, 2015 | Jonathan Schanzer, Boris Zilberman

Blowback: Saudi Arabia vs. Russia in Syria

After deploying its ground and air assets across Syria, Russia entered into an agreement with the Shiite leaders of Iran and Iraq to coordinate military efforts. At the podium of the United Natio...

January 3, 2013 | Lee Smith Tablet |

Russia, Wannabe Superpower

Will Putin’s ban on adoptions finally help U.S. officials grasp the nature of Russia’s political leadership?

April 15, 2004 | Commentary Magazine |

The Oil-for-Food Scam: What Did Kofi Annan Know, and When Did He Know It?

For years, the United Nations Oil-for-Food program was just one more blip on the multilateral landscape: a relief program for Iraq, a way to feed hungry children in a far-off land until the world...