The Russian Orthodox Church and the Moralist International in Times of War: Ruptures and Continuities in Russia’s Traditional Values Agenda

This article examines the evolution of Russia’s traditional values agenda in the context of the Russia–Ukraine war, focusing on its domestic radicalization and international projection through the Russian Orthodox Church. Domestically, the agenda has fostered repressive policies and an ideological framing of societal challenges, deflecting blame onto Western influences and internal “foreign agents.” Internationally, the war has disrupted Russia’s ties with Western conservative networks but strengthened its appeal in the Global South. As Russia pretends to develop a global counter-model to Western liberal democracy, it wants to be recognized as the leader of what we call the “Moralist International,” a transnational network of actors united by conservative values. The analysis highlights the paradoxical reliance of Russia’s anti-Western rhetoric on Western conservative ideas, revealing a fragile ideological foundation.