OPINION: What to Do With Russia’s ‘Holy war’ Against Ukraine and Collective West

The World Russian People’s Council, chaired by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, proclaimed in Moscow on March 27, 2024 an “оrder” containing several heresies, including that Russia’s bloody military invasion of Ukraine is somehow a “holy war” and that “the entire territory of present-day Ukraine should be included in the area of Russia’s exclusive influence.” This leaves no room for negotiations unless Ukraine abdicates its right to exist.

The “order” also reveals the scope of Russia’s imperialist plans by asserting that this “holy war” is not only against Kyiv, but also “the collective West behind it,” and that Russia and its people are fulfilling “the mission of the Restrainer [2 Thessalonians 2:6-7],” who protects the world against “the onslaught of globalism and the victory of the West, which has fallen into Satanism.” 

Moreover, this “оrder” declares that the boundaries of the Russkiy Mir (or Russian world) are wider than the state borders of “the current Russian Federation and the great historical Russia.” This is particularly troubling since the Kremlin believes that it has both the right and obligation to protect Russians and Russian-speaking individuals anywhere in this apparently limitless Russkiy Mir.

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This “оrder” clearly displays Russia’s delusional and destructive geopolitical course that started with a vicious military attack against Ukraine and aims far beyond Ukraine’s borders.

In fact, the Kremlin contemplated, at the outset of its 2022 all-out war against Ukraine, that the Russian army, supported by the dreaded Wagner mercenary group, would overcome Kyiv in about three days and then, from a strengthened position, would be able to recreate “the great historical Russia.”

On that count, the Kremlin demonstrated its full agreement with what Zbigniew Brzezinski, former US National Security Adviser, wrote in his book “Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power,” namely: “It cannot be stressed enough that without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be an empire, but with Ukraine suborned and then subordinated, Russia automatically becomes an empire.”

Faced with such reality, the West, and foremost the US Congress, has two choices: a) Perilously dismiss these alarming signals from Russia, which has blatantly lost its moral compass and common sense. Or, b) effectively help Ukraine stop Russia’s dangerous imperialist crusade against Ukraine and the collective West.

The consequences of each are substantially different.

For instance, if the US Congress chooses to abandon the Ukrainian people, it will have to bear the terrible burden of sending American boots on European soil when Russia pursues its “holy war” against a NATO member country.

On the other hand, if the US Congress opts to deliver the assistance package promised by the US president to Ukraine without further delay, then we could witness Russia’s dreaded “victory of the West,” which will lead to peace, security and stability in the world.

The stakes are very high, but fortunately the right choice is crystal clear.

The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.