Why Putin’s Conversation with the Russian and Serbian Patriarchs Was Published

Croatian media accompanied the transcript of Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s conversation with the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Porfirije and the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kiril with superficial surprise. The most interesting question related to this meeting was not asked: why did the transcript of the conversation that the Russian president held in the Kremlin with the heads of these two Orthodox churches appear on the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate, in which Patriarch Porfirije, full of admiration for great Russia, confirms to Putin that the ‘small Serbian vessel’ will continue to be tied to the ‘great Russian ship’?

This is completely outside diplomatic-political practice. Serbian media, under Vučić’s total control, did not address the reasons for this highly unusual procedure, starting from the simplest question that should at least interest them: did Porfirije know that he was actually filming a promotional video for the ‘Russian world’ with President Putin and Patriarch Kiril in the Kremlin, which would be published not only as a transcript but also as a video?

Unification of Ancient Empires

For a broader analysis, it is irrelevant whether Porfirije knew. It is also irrelevant whether Vučić knew or merely suspected. What is important is that Putin and Kiril, through Porfirije, decided to publicly show whose Serbia it is in the new order. And the moment in which Putin and Kiril did this is significant, demonstrating the complete unity of the Russian state and the Russian Orthodox Church. They did this at a time when Russian-American talks about a peace agreement in Ukraine are laying broader foundations for a new world order in which Russia seeks to secure its role on the old foundations of Great Russian politics and the revival of the concept of Moscow as the ‘Third Rome’.

An important programmatic contribution to these Moscow efforts was recently (March 31) articulated by Sergej Karaganov, a Russian academic and permanent strategic advisor to the Kremlin – from Yeltsin to Putin – in his article ‘Eurasia with Intellectual Freedom’. Karaganov appeals for the creation of a new ideological underpinning, a new national dream around which the former great empires – Chinese, Mongolian, Ottoman, Japanese, united Korean – will unite, with Russia at the center, of course – against American imperialism and with the aim of ‘decolonization’. Russia, as a ‘civilization above civilizations’, is at the center of this concept, and Eurasia is its geographical framework. The USA is the main opponent, and Europe is the space that needs to be won and appropriated.

In this frantic search for an ideological underpinning that will, evoking historical glory, unite the ancient empires against America, Moscow’s recent efforts to confirm the indissolubility of the Russian-Chinese alliance have been particularly noticeable. And the episode with Porfirije primarily served as a demonstration of power over the small: Porfirije was invited to Moscow to receive an honorary doctorate, and along the way, he was given a role in a promotional video that he could not refuse. And a public message was sent to Vučić that he cannot fail to appear at the grand Moscow parade on Victory Day, May 9, where Putin wants to show – who is with him.

Symbolic Response

Many unattainable ‘dreams’ are embedded in this Karaganov project of uniting ancient empires against ‘American imperialism’. Among other things, it is ignored that they alternated in the same area and left behind traces of mutual wars to this day, that the ‘occupied’ (according to Karaganov’s opinion) Japan and South Korea are deeply integrated into the West, that the slumbering EU is gradually recognizing Moscow’s intentions, which is why the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Kaja Kallas (who, as an Estonian, understands the ‘Russian world’ better than most others) has stated that those who wish to join the EU do not belong in Moscow at the May 9 parade.

In the midst of Moscow’s new ideological offensive, the ‘first’ Rome had the opportunity to show its gathering strength – at the funeral of Pope Francis, for whom Putin had only words of praise in Porfirije’s video. The image of American President Trump and Ukrainian Zelensky in a confidential conversation in St. Peter’s Cathedral can also be viewed as a symbolic response from the ‘imperialist West’ from the only Rome.

As Porfirije promised, Vučić will be in Moscow on May 9. Because he cannot refuse. And Milorad Dodik will be in Moscow. Because he has nowhere else to go. And perhaps he will not return. Because he may not have anywhere to go after Western protectors have begun to exclude the Republic of Srpska from financial apparatuses. Perhaps the new world order will indeed set its first borders on the periphery – with Srpska on the western side and Serbia tied to the ‘great Russian ship’. As Porfirije promised.