Posts tagged Putin
Ukraine Prosecutor Investigating Russian Attacks On Children As Genocide

(ANALYSIS) Andriy Kostin, the prosecutor general of Ukraine, explained that his team is looking into the abductions of Ukrainian children to Russia, but also the destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage linked to Ukrainian identity, among others. He also indicated that his team is investigating mass killings, such as those in Bucha, as a crime of genocide.

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Cardinal Parolin Visits Ukraine, says Pope Following Situation With ‘Pain’

The Holy See’s secretary of state visited the Ukrainian city of Odessa and said that the pope is following the situation there “with so much attention, with so much worry and so much pain.”

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On Religion: Ukraine’s Historic Orthodox Church Slams ‘Russian World’

(ANALYSIS) Close observers of Eastern Orthodox Christianity were not surprised when the recent World Russian People’s Council bluntly rejected “abortion propaganda,” efforts to promote LGBTQ rights and this age of “sexual licentiousness and debauchery.” It wasn’t surprising when that Moscow conference urged the defense of traditional families, “strong with many children,” during an era where birth rates are falling.

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Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Found Purpose In Christianity

In 2021, Navalny expressed hope that the Orthodox church in Russia could act as a mediator between the people and the state. He recognized this was unlikely; but if his demise tells us anything, it’s that moral courage in Russia’s mother church isn’t totally dead. On the contrary, we might see a resurrection yet.

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Q&A With Russian ‘Spy’ Maria Butina: Orthodoxy, Politics and Twerking

Religion Unplugged’s former executive editor Paul Glader reported a three-episode narrative podcast for the Sony Entertainment Media show “Infamous” about GOP operative Paul Erickson who led a colorful life that included advising a presidential candidate, making a Hollywood movie and dating an alleged Russian spy named Maria Butina. Upon hearing the podcast, Butina reached out and agreed to an interview to share her perspective on her now ex-boyfriend.

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Refugees And Religion In Russia’s War Against Ukraine

(OPINION) Russia’s war on Ukraine and its attempt to destroy the very identity of Ukrainians is an unmitigated disaster. If there is any silver lining in this present nightmare it is the army of angels of mercy that has stepped forward to comfort and care for millions of Ukrainian refugees.

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When Will Russia’s War On Ukraine End? Religion And Security Strategies

(OPINION) Russia’s security strategy gives prominent weight to concerns about traditional religious values. Diplomatic negotiations between Russia and the West to end the war in Ukraine will likely center on some of these concerns for many years to come.

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Amid Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine, Putin Demands Jerusalem Church As Israel Promised

As Russia’s two-month-old invasion of neighboring Ukraine continues, Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding that Israel grant the Kremlin control of a Russian Orthodox church in Jerusalem’s Christian quarter as the previous Israeli government had promised. Granting the request would be a diplomatic headache for Israel.

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Journal Issue Explores Religion As A Weapon In Russia’s War Against Ukraine

(ANALYSIS) A newly released journal issue of “Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe” explores the Russian state’s dependency on a morally compromised Russian Orthodox Church to legitimize its quasi-religious fascism. Meanwhile, pastors in Bucha, Ukraine, where hundreds of civilian bodies were recently found shot to death, reflect on the theology needed to survive so much pain and suffering.

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Just Say No: The Four-Letter Word Religion Writers Really Want To Avoid

This week’s Weekend Plug-in reflects on debate over the use of the term “cult” in religion news stories. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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Will Russia's Ruler Listen To Orthodox Christian Voices Praying For Ceasefire?

(OPINION) Orthodox leaders with ties to the European Union and highly European Western Ukraine have issued fierce statements after the Russian invasion. Many Orthodox churches with roots in Russian Orthodoxy have also condemned the invasion of Ukraine and urged a ceasefire.

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Must Reads: Understanding The Russia-Ukraine War From A Religious Perspective

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the religion angles key to understanding the Russia-Ukraine war. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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Russian Invasion Reveals Fissures Among Orthodox Christians

Orthodox churches around the world are all preparing for Easter, a celebration of Christ defeating death, by reflecting on Judgment Day. Despite this relative unity in worship, the Orthodox schism between Moscow and Constantinople that broke open in 2019 is cracking further. What is good and what is evil in the war in Ukraine is far from agreed upon.

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Putin’s Claim To Rid Ukraine Of Nazis Is Especially Absurd Given Its History

(OPINION) As the author of a recently published book on anti-Jewish violence in Ukraine and a historian of the Holocaust, Jeffrey Veidlinger knows why the accusations of Nazism and genocide have resonance in Ukraine. But he also understands that despite episodic violence, Ukrainian history offers a model of tolerance and democratic government.

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Prominent Christian Leaders And Groups Face Reckoning Over Praise for Putin

For the past century, America’s conservative Christians and politicians were united in the belief that the communist USSR — and later, Russia — was anti-American, anti-God and a threat to the world. But recently, some Christian nonprofits have consistently praised Russia as a global beacon of hope for families and the survival of Christianity.

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As Russia Invades Ukraine, Students Abroad Fear For Their Families

Students from Lithuania’s LCC International University, 20% of whom are from Ukraine, rallied to express support for Ukraine against Russian aggression this week. LCC is a novel, faith-based university that brings Russians, Ukrainians and many others together to learn and interact.

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Russia Attacks Ukraine: Why Some Experts Insist Putin Is Motivated By Religion

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the role that some experts see religion playing in Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Plus, catch up, as always, on all the week’s best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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As Russian Troops Launch Invasion Into Ukraine, Church Members Pray For Peace

About 50 Christians with ties to Ukraine gathered for an afternoon of prayer at the North Davis Church of Christ in Arlington, Texas. Less than 48 hours after the prayer service, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the breakaway republics and ordered his military to “maintain peace” in the disputed areas.

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Belarus regime crackdown on Orthodox Church is altering prayers, purging clergy

Often called Europe’s last dictator, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus has continued to jail human rights defenders and his regime is targeting those protesting against election falsification and regime violence, including priests that the government has expelled from the Belarusian Orthodox Church. The regime also tried to ban singing of the hymn “Mighty God” and prayers for political prisoners, organizing instead a pro-regime "prayer day".

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