The Ukraine War, Huntington, and Religion

The Moscow Russian Orthodox Church as a Weapon for Putin's Civilizationist Ideology

Abstract

This piece examines the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with a particular focus on the impact of religion. The „Clash of Civilizations“ theory by Samuel Huntington, which highlights religion as a source of inter-national conflicts, is pertinent to this topic. However, it falls short of explain-ing this situation's overall dynamics and complexities. Nevertheless, Putin's ideological justification for the war seems to rely on Huntingtons model. Furthermore, the article sheds light on the role of the Moscow Russian Or-thodox Church, which serves as a political „sharp power“ tool and plays a significant role in exacerbating aggression.