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ROLE OF RELIGION AND POLITICS IN WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE:

A STUDY

Article in International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education · July 2022

DOI: 10.9756/INT-JECSE/V14I4.156

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 International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education (INT-JECS)
ISSN: 1308-5581 Vol 14, Issue 04 2022

ROLE OF RELIGION AND POLITICS IN WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND

UKRAINE: A STUDY

Arushi Jha
Law Law College Dehradun faculty of Uttaranchal University, Dehradun – 248007, Uttarakhand,
India, E-mail: arushi.p.jha@gmail.com

Naitik Bhatt
BA. LLB (Hons.), Law College Dehradun faculty of Uttaranchal University, Dehradun – 248007,
Uttarakhand, India, E-mail: naitikbhatt07@gmail.com

Dr. Anil K. Dixit

Professor, Law College Dehradun faculty of Uttaranchal University, Dehradun – 248007,
Uttarakhand, India, E-mail: anil@uttaranchaluniversity.ac.in

Ujjwal Kumar Singh

Ass. Prof., Law College Dehradun faculty of Uttaranchal University, Dehradun – 248007,
Uttarakhand, India, E-mail: ujjwal.singh82@gmail.com

Lala Ram Choudhary

Law, Law College Dehradun faculty of Uttaranchal University, Dehradun – 248007, Uttarakhand,
India, E-mail: lrchoudhary@uttaranchaluniversity.ac.in

ABSTRACT
There are many factors which contribute towards war, mostly political in nature, famously territorial gain, and
monetary and retributive incentives. Though an underlying factor which sparks the conflict, the disagreement, in
the first place, in many cases, is religion. The present Article takes the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a case study,
analysing the various political factors which contributed to the 2022 invasion of Russia into the Ukrainian
territory, while simultaneously establishing the religious grounds, rooting from their shared religious history,
which lead to a seemly irreparable clash and division of ideology.The idea is to further highlight the gradual
transition of religious dissimilarities into political discord which have further pushed Ukraine away and
contributed to the detestation of the people of Ukraine towards Russia. The Article, in addition to this, analyses
the role of international entities and events, direct and indirect, which have had a significant impact on the
current conflict, with emphasis on NATO, and the event of dissolution of the USSR.

Keywords: Russia, Ukraine, Russia-Ukraine Conflict, Religious Conflict, Religious War, Orthodox-Catholic,
NATO, USSR

INTRODUCTION
‘Religion’ has been defined by many, the meaning varying due to the sheer difference in circumstances.
However, to find its meaning in its truest form, one must interpret it in the sense of its objective. Religion is a
term which, in its roots, represents and seeks promotion of peace, among people, among nations; to surrender to
the Divine and to see all as one. Ironically, religion has served to be a prominent ground for wars since the very
inception of mankind, it is a tool to define territories and separate grounds, assigning lands based on differing
ideologies.
It is evident that prejudices arise when one faith is presumed to be superior than other faiths, consequently
forcibly imposing the views of the presumed superior religion on others. There have been various instances in
history which conclusively showcase religion being the motivation behind wars. One may take the example of
the Eighty Years War (from 1568 to 1648), popularly known as The Dutch War, which was primarily a conflict
between the Netherlands (largely Protestant) and Spain (largely Catholic). The former had grown tired of the
political rule and forcible enforcement of Roman Catholicism by the latter on them, both sides being willing to
make compromises on any subject matter, except that of religion, which contributed towards the exhaustingly
long duration of the said war. Simultaneously took place the Thirty Years War (from 1618 to 1648), raging in
Central Europe, again between Catholics and Protestants, which though, on the surface, was fought on political
grounds, had primarily religious reasons for the same. The war is referred to as one of the most devastating ones

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in human history. Another notable mention would be that of The French War of Religion (from 1562 to 1598),
which was a prolonged period of conflict between French Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). Protestantism
was introduced during and opposed by the reign of Francis I; the Catholic hostility towards their uprising is
what led to eight civil wars, and the loss of millions of lives, massacred inhumanly.
The wars of religion which took place in Europe are the prime examples of religion being a prominent factor
leading to the catastrophe that is war. Contemporarily, conflict arises in eastern Europe, again, between Ukraine
and Russia, which has taken the attention of globe, including international entities, by storm, because of the
highly sensitive and destructive nature of the dispute, which is not only disrupting the lives of innocent people
of Ukraine, but also causing discrepancies around the world. The question which arises here is what are the
circumstances which led to this uprising conflict?

RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT – THE RELIGIOUS BEGINNING

Factually, Ukraine's population is majorly Orthodox, with a notable minority being Catholic. Their rich religious
ancestry traces back to the medieval kingdom of Kievan Rus, when Prince Vladimir I rejected Paganism to
adopt Orthodox Christianity as the new state religion, as he was Baptized in Crimea in A.D. 988. On his return
to Kyiv, he ensured that his soldiers and their families were baptized collectively in the Dnieper River.
Henceforth, Russia and Ukraine began regarding this particular event as the birth of their respective nations;
Vladimir’s Christianity being the reason for their unification, as also addressed by Putin who regards the two
nations as one.
Subsequently, Moscow replaced Kyiv to be the centre of Slavic Orthodoxy, and with the Islamic conquest of
Constantinople in 1453, it further pursued its self-inherited duty of being the ‘defender of true Christianity’.
Following the replacement, Kyiv came under the domination of the European powers. Beginning with the
western lands becoming victim to invasion by the Polish and Lithuanian armies in the 16 th century, subsequently
leading to a war between Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia in the 17 th century, which resulted in
Russians exercising imperial control on lands situated in the eastof the Dnieper River (hereinafter referred as
‘left bank’). On the other hand, the west (hereinafter referred ‘right bank’) was still ruled by Poland, thus,
dominated by the Greek Catholic Church, which inculcated Orthodox forms of worship, but continued to
associate with the Pope. This Church will later go on to be liquidated.
This created a clear and express bifurcation in religious ideologies of the people, the west vs. the east; the
unfortunate loss amidst everything was that of the identity of Ukraine. In 1793, the Right Bank Ukraine was
annexed by Russia, which led to implementation of a policy which compelled conversion to the Russian
Orthodoxy. In addition to this, the use and dissemination of the Ukrainian language was absolutely restricted.
Turmoil for the people of Ukraine was only just beginning. After being constantly dominated by various
nations, following the communist resolution in 1917 and a brutal civil war, Ukraine was made part of the Soviet
Union in 1922. In the 1930s, a famine was orchestrated which led to the death of millions of Ukrainians.
Russians and other Soviet citizens, who had no ties to the Ukrainian culture or the language, were sent to the
east for the purpose of repopulation. This was a contributing factor in West Ukraine developing an inclination
for western political ideologies, of which eastern Ukraine had heavy Russian influence.
In the year 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Ukraine was finally an independent nation. Despite being
independent, the nation lacked unity due to the differing influences in the east and the west, with the west
possessing a deeper sense of Ukrainian nationalism than the east, who preferred the pre-independence era.
Consequently, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Greek Catholic Church gained legal status, but the Russian
Orthodox Church which has had its branch in Ukraine, known as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow
Patriarch (hereinafter referred to as UOC-MP), gave considerable autonomy to it. In addition to everything
aforesaid, another Orthodox Church was established which was distinct from the two mentioned above. It was
established by Ukrainian Metropolitan Filaret, Denysenko, who proclaimed himself patriarch in Kyiv of that
church after being denied to be the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Following the Maidan Resolution in 2014, when the Pro-Russian President fled the country and a new president
was consequently appointed, that is, Petro Poroshenko, a new Ukrainian Orthodox church was called for under
the very jurisdiction of the Kyiv Patriarchate, instead of the Moscow Patriarchate. The step was aimed at
unification of the country against Russian aggression, which Ukraine has lacked since its very inception.
In the year 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew issued a tomos of autocephaly to the aforementioned
newly incepted church, now known as the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (hereinafter referred as OCU), with
whom, the previously established, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church was merged. The OCU is now
headed by Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv. It is to note that its legal status, however, remains disputed among
World Orthodox Churches, as the Moscow Patriarchate rejects its legitimacy.
Broadly, one can say that Ukraine is divided into three main bits, as presently, there are three churches which
stand in Ukraine, the OCU, the UOC-MP, and the Greek Catholic Church, all deriving their ideologies from
different sources, be it the very vision of Holy Rus, or the demographic political structures, or having its reason
for emergence be the Ukrainian nationalism; unfortunately, not co-existing, but conflicting.
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POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE
The year of 1991 marks as a beginning of the political era of the Russia-Ukraine relationship after the
dissolution of the USSR. After having its independence declared on 25 August 1991, there were prominent
changes in the nation’s foreign policy, the changes expressing the clear will to move on from their socialist
ideology, to a more democratic one. The foreign policy aimed at creating conditions for obtaining accession to
the European Union and membership of NATO, contradicting the policies of Russia which revolved around
their economic and military security, along with protecting their Russian identity, for which Ukraine was an
important link.
Ukraine, taking its own aim further, established relations with the United States, and its independence was
recognised by the same in 1991. In the year 1994, Ukraine joined a collaborative partnership with NATO, which
provided for it to give up its nuclear arsenal in consideration for an agreement with Russia, the United States
and the United Kingdom, to protect its sovereignty. As years progressed, there were protests to bring an end to
Russian influence as well as the corruption which came with it; the orange protests took place in Ukraine in
2004.
In the year 2008, while Ukraine began making efforts to form ties with the European Union, as well as pursue
membership in the NATO alliance, Russia backed the separatists in breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia.
After the appointment of the 4th Ukraine President, Viktor Yanukovych, the foreign policy, aimed at European
and Euro-Atlantic Integration, continued. While he supported and was even inspired to take Ukraine’s ties with
the EU and NATO further, he also made efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s relationship with Russia. The efforts
were not in vain, as substantial improvement was visible in the form of a treaty for natural-gas signed between
the two nations, the base of the same being located in Crimea.
On the other hand, his promise in relation to the foreign policy, however, was not acted upon. To everyone’s
surprise, in 2013, the Ukrainian president rejected the Association Agreement with the EU, instead deciding to
pursue closer ties with Russian and the Eurasian Economic Union. Protests broke out, and hundreds were killed,
while Yanukovych fled to Russia. This moment of unrest was referred to as ‘Euromaiden’, led by the opposition
as well as those in favour of integration with the European Union. An interim Ukrainian government was
established, which was recognised by the E.U. and the U.S., but not Yanukovych and the Russian government.
Demonstrations by pro-Russians followed, who began seizing territories, and shot a Malaysian Airlines, leading
to the death of many.
Only a month after the removal of the then president and amidst the protests, in the year 2014, Crimea was
occupied and annexed by Russia, the military seizer being described as the biggest one since World War II. It
was a big step on part of Russia in order to claim the influence it has previously had. Historically, Crimea has
been a part of imperial Russia for 168 years and subsequently of the Russian Federation, consequently being an
integral part of Russia and thus, important to it.
The fight for Crimea continued for the quarter of 2014, before eventually falling in the hands of Russia.
Allegedly, it was the Pro-Russian Ukrainians who assisted in the event of annexation. Following which, in
August of the same year, the Russian Military force invaded eastern Ukraine with the help of rebels. The armed-
conflict claimed the lives of over 13,000 people.
The conflict, however, was far from over. In 2017, attempts were again made for an association agreement
between Ukraine and the European Union, with primary focus on free trade of goods and services, and free visa
for Ukrainians to travel within the continent. 3 years later, after the appointment of Zelenskiy as President,
appeals were made to President Biden to approve Ukraine for the membership of NATO. It was then, in the
spring of 2021, when Russian troops began massing near Ukraine’s border, for what Russia explained was
training exercises.
By the end of 2021, satellite images showed ongoing build-up of Russian forces along the border, with estimates
presenting deployment of over 100,000 troops. The realisation led to holding of a telephonic conversation
between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, Presidents of the United States and Russia respectively. Russia
eventually presented the demand that Ukraine be denied membership for NATO as well as have NATO pull
back the troops and weapons from eastern Europe.
NATO, in its part, put forces on standby instead, and took steps to reinforce eastern Europe with more ships and
fighter jets. Simultaneously, Washington, in response to the demands put forth by Russia, tried to offer a
“pragmatic evaluation” to Moscow, all the while emphasising on NATO’s ‘open-door’ policy. Consequently,
Russia declared the demands as not having been addressed.
The declaration enveloped the air with sheer fear of attack from Russia.The United States assured sending of an
extra of 3,000 troops to Poland and Romania, who are members of NATO. Further, Russia was warned of
economic sanctions, if any military steps were taken.
Dissatisfied, Putin ordered forces into two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, after recognising them as
independent. In response to his order, the United States, Britain, and their allies sanctioned Russian banks and
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other assets in order to unable Russia to take any step further. Germany on its part halted the Nord Stream gas
pipeline project, but all in vain.
On the 24th Day of February, 2022, Putin authorized for special military operations in Ukraine. Major Ukrainian
cities were targeted as a result of the said operations, including Kiev. In addition to this, the Russia-backed
separatists sought assistance from Russia to counter the steps taken by the Ukrainian army. New sanctions were
imposed by other Western allies, including restrictions on Russia's central bank and expelling key banks off the
main global payments system, as a consequence of military aggression on Ukraine.

CONSEQUENCE OF WAR AND THE ROLE OF ICJ

The “special military attack” initiated by Russia on 24th day of February lead to a suit being instituted by
Ukraine before the International Court of Justice under Article 35(1) of the Statute of ICJ, on the grounds that
Russia was manipulating the concept of genocide to justify the invasion and military aggression so imposed on
Ukraine. Russia, on its part, alleged that the military operation was essential for putting halt to the Ukraine-led
genocide in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, while Ukraine argued that it is nothing but a baseless
attempt to justify an unjustified war.
The World Court in response to the suit filed by Ukraine, asked Russia to, “immediately suspend its attacks and
cease all military operations.” The Court observed that a large-scale operation as one initiated by Russia
inevitably causes loss of life, and damages not only to property but also to the environment, and presently
Russia’s aggression has resulted in “numerous deaths and injuries of various citizen, significant material
damage, the destruction of buildings and infrastructure”. Further highlighting the worsening living conditions,
the Court added, “Many people have no access to the most basic essentials, food, potable water, electricity,
important medicines or heating. A very large number of people are attempting to flee from the most affected
cities under extremely insecure conditions”
The series of catastrophic events, as observed, led to the World Court accepting Ukraine’s plea for peace and
implementation of provisional measures for safekeeping and withdrawal.

CONCLUDING REMARKS
The events, prima facie, suggest and highlight the role of religion as the preliminary reason for the conflict
between the two nations, amidst subsequent causes such as policies based on furtherance of religion. While that
is not absolutely inaccurate, one cannot antagonise religion in any given scenario. More often than not, it is
rather the restriction on one’s freedom of religion which leads to conflicts, and not religion in itself. In the
present scenario, it was the Russian authorities’ keenness to promote the Russian language, the Russian
Orthodox Christianity and culture through various projects, beyond its borders.
The prevailing concept of ‘compatriots’ was used to manage migration and to guide foreign policy. The
narrative of a Russian World, seen as superior, was evident in the said policies, which involved preventing the
United States, NATO and EU from getting hold of areas which were of Russia’s interest, with an aim to stop the
erosion of its own influence, after the dissolution of the USSR. The proposal of Eurasian Union and Customs
Union was put forth for retaining the identity of the nations in the historical Eurasian space, consequently
making Ukraine a key target.
Russia views Ukraine as principally important, not only in terms of Russia’s economic and military security, but
also in terms of its identity because of their historical origin. Ukraine, on the other hand, after the Orange
Revolution became more inclined towards pursuing Euro-Atlantic integration. This affected Russia’s established
vision of a Russian World beyond borders. By reintegrating Ukraine into Russia, it can retain its religious
identity and Soviet Unity. Russian Orthodox Church would take over, compromising the independence of the
Ukraine Orthodox Church, also affecting other religious minorities and their freedom of religion; and the world
isn’t unaware of prosecution of such minorities, be it Protestants or Muslims, within State borders.
A nation’s fear of losing its identity is valid on its part, and taking measures to promote their traditions and
ideologies is justifiable, especially in a world gradually inclining more and more towards western culture,
however, the same cannot be unduly imposed on people in the name of policies and self-defence. Initiating war
to meet foreign policies based on religion has only led to loss of lives, economy and faith, even of those
previously in agreement with the said policies.
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