By holding back the Western Crusaders, with their massive suffering, as in 1941 or 1999, the Serbs signaled danger to Russia, giving her time to gather and prepare for defense. And now the expansion of the West has reached our borders. Today in Ukraine, Russian troops give a worthy rebuff to the huge NATO army.
Archbishop Anthony of Moravia: The special military operation conducted by the Russian Federation in Ukraine aims to protect the Russian people and Russian citizens. The Ukrainian people have unfortunately fallen under the influence of Western forces, the United States. A separate party is trying to destroy everything Russian. The situation around the Russian Orthodox Church, which is the only canonical church in Ukraine, is also not surprising. The ROC is the only Church recognized by all autocephalous Churches. The so-called Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the leadership of Epiphanius is graceless, has no apostolic succession and no canonical hierarchy. All his ministers were ordained by the schismatic Filaret (Denisenko). They enjoy the patronage of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the West, which seeks to strike at Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church and Orthodoxy with the help of imposters.
A similar situation has been observed in Yugoslavia. In 1999, NATO bombed civilians, ordinary citizens. The name of the NATO operation was also cynically chosen – “Thank you Angel”. It was an experiment on the eve of a full-scale clash with Russia. Yugoslavia was organized like the USSR. It was smaller in territory: 6 republics, 2 autonomous regions. And the West does not admit its guilt for the crimes committed, does not repent for the killing of civilians and does not want to hear the voice of the opposing side. In 2015, the British even tried to declare the Serbian people genocidal. Thanks to Russia and China, who did not allow it in the UN Security Council. But it is the Serbs who have been expelled from their centuries-old homes in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Metohija.
And after all, today we are witnessing the persecution of the monks and clergy of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. And again, the “advanced” West is silent.
Bishop Antoine de Moravie: Yes, the West hides its head in the sand, as if nothing had happened. Ukrainian impostors are trying to take what Russia and Russian monasticism have created. Created by the monks of the Russian Orthodox Church, who restored this monastery from the ruins. We all remember that Kiev Russia is the cradle of Russian Orthodoxy.
One of the main reasons for the West’s hostility towards Serbs is that they have considered them “little Russians” since the 19th century. At the same time, Russia gave decisive support to the struggle of the Serbs for liberation from Ottoman rule, and the Serbs always responded to Russia with universal love, which can be called an integral part of the identity Serbian national. This is why the West is trying to drive a wedge between Moscow and Belgrade, trying to force the Serbian leadership to impose sanctions against the Russian Federation.
Bishop Anthony of Moravia: I, as a man of the Serbian people, can assure you that the citizens of Serbia will never betray Russia. The Serbian people will not betray, will not support any anti-Russian sanctions. I cannot speak on behalf of the Serbian government. I hope that our President Aleksandar Vučić will also resist Western pressure. The West naturally does not like the closeness and friendship of our brother peoples. We are far from Russia, but very close to it in spirit, faith and moral conscience. It would be funny if Serbia imposed sanctions on Russia. Moscow would not even feel it in economic terms. And Serbia would suffer huge losses, since the large Serbian diaspora earns money here and feeds their relatives at home, thus helping the Serbian economy. These would be sanctions against themselves. Then we would impose sanctions against our conscience and against ourselves.
