Strategy and Tactics of the Russian Orthodox Church towards Ukraine in the First Year of Volodomyr Zelensky's Presidency

Abstract

Following former President Petro Poroshenko’s attack on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (of the Moscow patriarchate), and the subsequent election of Volodymyr Zelensky, the Russian Orthodox Church has had to change its tactics. While it retains strong representation in Ukraine, it no longer is as powerful as it was in the past. The real change, however, is how the Russian Orthodox Church operates on the global Orthodox stage. It is now seeking a way to present itself as the leader of the international Orthodox movement, rather than just as a Russian church.