In Grodno, Belarus, Russian archpriest Sergei Baranov made a cynical statement that Belarusians should be grateful to Russia for not deploying them to participate in the war against Ukraine. The statement was published on the Christian Vision Telegram channel.
According to the cleric, Belarusians should be grateful to the Russian leadership for not “yet” putting forward “harsh conditions” regarding direct military participation in the aggression against Ukraine.
Baranov claims: “The Belarusian people should be grateful that our (Russian) leadership does not set such strict, categorical conditions: ‘help, intervene, otherwise we will be very offended, we will hold a grudge’. Our government finds ways to somehow protect the Belarusian people from this for now. I think this is still the position of our government. And it seems to me that this is good, noble.”
These words sound like outright arrogant blackmail. Instead of condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the priest actually justifies it, presenting Belarus’s abstention from direct participation in the war as a “noble” gesture. He ignores the fact that it was Russia that unleashed this war, violating international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Baranov also tries to intimidate Belarusians with mythical “enemies in the West,” who, according to him, “would devour you. They would break your spine.” He claims that only Russia “deter” these threats and that “Belarus itself would not have been able to cope”. This thesis is part of Russian propaganda aimed at increasing Belarus’ dependence on Russia and justifying Russia’s military presence on Belarusian soil.
The ROC priest also emphasized the importance of “moral assistance” from Belarus for Russia, stating: “We may not need your military assistance now, but even moral assistance is costly for us, because we don’t have many friends either. And sometimes just knowing that someone is on your side, at least morally, is already valuable.” Thus, Russia seeks to use Belarus as a tool in its geopolitical game, even if it means moral pressure and manipulation.
Archpriest Baranov’s statement is another example of religion being exploited to justify Russia’s aggressive policy. It demonstrates a contemptuous attitude towards the sovereignty of Belarus and a desire to keep it in the orbit of Russian influence. It is important to emphasize that the Belarusian people have the right to independently determine their future and do not need “noble” gestures from the aggressor state.
These statements demonstrate how the Russian church serves as an instrument to legitimize the Kremlin’s imperial policy and justify aggression against neighboring states.
