Russia and Ukraine are currently heading on a collision course, with the War in Donbas and the general Russo-Ukrainian Conflict (presently in a “stalemate”) heating up, after a period of relative inactivity following the Crimean annexation. This should not need to be stated, but the United Centrist Grillers fully condemns Russia’s actions, and throws their entire support behind the Ukrainian government. This is not the Vietnam War, this is not America propping up a Banana Plantation “Republic,” this is a war between brutal Totalitarianism, and Western Ideals. We fully stand with Voldymr Zelensky, Ukrainian comedian and actor on Serve The People (a Ukrainian show where Zelensky portrayed a fictional Ukrainian President) Ukraine deemed was their best choice to serve as a real President in the face of Russian oppression. We stand with the spirit of Ukraine’s Euromaidan, and with Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO and the EU (regardless of individual member’s views on those two organizations, every single member can confidently assert that we support any more democratic alternative to Russian oppression, international institutions included. Given that both NATO and EU have a vested interest in stopping Russia’s expansion and gain of power in any and all areas, their potential support for Ukraine is encouraged). 

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The UCG strongly opposes Russia’s, and more specifically former KGB Agent and current President Vladimir Putin’s attempts to undermine democracy, especially in Ukraine.

Our condemnation and opposition does not merely extend to the Ukrainian crisis, however. Putin successfully split the Eastern Orthodox Church in half (the Moscow-Constantinople schism), in order to attempt to justify taking over Ukraine through religious means. Basically,  the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the head body of the Eastern Orthodox Church, declared that it would protect the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (instead of legitimizing the Moscow Patriachate’s subordinate version of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church), and the Russian Orthodox Church unilaterally cut ties, stopped participating in communion, and in all other ways split from the Eastern Orthodox church, creating the largest schism in Christianity since 1054. This was done because by refusing to allow the Church in Kiev to become subordinate to Russia, the Eastern Orthodox Church effectively rejected Russia’s right to control Ukraine. Putin, using the Russian Orthodox Church as his puppet, then lashed out against the EOC as a whole in order to remove their influence from Russia to allow for more state control of church. 

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Putin’s willingness to weaponize and destroy religion has been used in America. Russian Troll Farms and disinformation campaigns have been used, to radicalize and split American political discourse, and Evangelical Christianity specifically. This has resulted in the promotion of extreme ideologies that have contributed to terroristic attacks, and riots, mainly but (NOT EXCLUSIVELY) on the right wing of American politics. On the left wing, Russia funded the Green Party and Jill Stein and hacked the DNC, with the intent to affect the 2016 American Election. Whether or not any other allegations made against Russia have any merit, it is indisputable that Putin has made it his mission to divide America, affect elections, and weaken democracy. Similarly, Russia has interfered in (a non exhaustive list) Georgian, Hungarian, Ukrainian, French, Polish, German, Scottish, Finnish, United Kingdom, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Czechian, Swedish, Bulgarian, and Macedonian elections, politics, and society. 

 

Russia’s present ideology is corporatist, single-party dominant, state gangsterism, and Ur-Fascist. If one believes in the freedoms of speech, assembly, and religion, if one believes in the right to self-determination, privacy, human rights, and individualism, if one believes in Democracy, there is no other choice but to oppose the Kremlin, and advocate for the destruction of the Putin regime at all costs. 
 

 

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