With the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, the international community first became aware of the political force that religious ideas – in this case the spiritual roots of Russian statehood in Crimea, as posited by Russian ruler Vladimir Putin – had gained in the post-Soviet space. In the war between Russia and Ukraine, religion, and Orthodoxy in particular, occupies a firm place; it is seen by both sides as an aspect of security policy and an element of cultural demarcation. This research project examines the points where security-policy discourses intersect with the Orthodox tradition in Russia and Ukraine. In doing so, it aims to reveal continuities and ruptures in the way Orthodoxy has featured in security-policy discourses since the end of the Soviet Union.

• How is Orthodox tradition and theology used to amplify security-policy discourses?
• Which aspects of the region’s Orthodox tradition and theology run counter to the securitisation of religion in the context of the Russian war, and how might they be translated into actors’ strategies?

• Discourse analysis of relevant ecclesiastical and political texts and speeches