THE CHURCH AS AN ELEMENT OF “SHARP POWER” OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Abstract

The article analyses the essence of the term “sharp power” and deals with the role of “sharp power” in the foreign policy of the Russian Federation. First of all, the article focuses on the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) and the role they play as an elements of Russia’s “sharp power” directed against Ukraine. During the war that Russia wages in the territory of Ukraine the main function of the Russian Orthodox Church is to justify aggression in the eyes of Orthodox believers. The ROC resorts to spreading disinformation and constructing myths that are intended to serve as argumentation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One of such myths is a false statement about Ukrainians and Russians being the same people, which is being actively spread by the ROC and the Russian leadership. Although the official statements of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which is canonically and administratively subordinated to the ROC, are more cautious, but, as demonstrated in the article, it has been promoting pro-Russian narratives among Orthodox believers for years. It was spreading disinformation about Russia’s annexation of Crimea and Russia’s aggression in the Donbas region and making efforts to create a favourable image of Russia among Ukrainians. The article analyses the changes in the UOC-MP official position that have taken place after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The article particularly assesses the statement made by the Council of the UOC-MP in May 2022 about its decision on the “complete independence and self-sufficiency” and break with the ROC. The article argues that this decision is manipulative and purely declarative and did not bring any changes into the status of the UOC-MP. The article concludes by emphasising the importance of informing the Ukrainian society about the dangers of the Russian church “sharp power”, which is especially relevant during the war the Russia wages against Ukraine not only on the battlefield but also in the information realm.