Ukraine’s UN Representative Calls Out Russian Church for Promoting ‘Neo-Nazi Narratives’

Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, has called upon the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to reconsider the special consultative status granted to the World Russian People's Council.

The council, established in 1993 under the Russian Orthodox Church, recently issued a decree titled “The Present and Future of the Russian World,” which describes the ongoing war in Ukraine as a “holy war” and outlines ambitions for Russian territorial expansion.

Kyslytsya highlighted the council’s propagation of racist and neo-colonial ideologies, which he denounced as deeply concerning and contradictory to the principles of the UN Charter.

“Ukraine expresses deep concern that the World Russian People’s Council, which promotes racist, xenophobic, neo-Nazi, and neo-colonial narratives, continues to use ECOSOC’s special consultative status,” the permanent representative said in a letter to the President of the UN Economic and Social Council.

He warned that the council’s misuse of ECOSOC’s status not only enables the promotion of Russian aggression but also erodes trust in the United Nations as a whole.

Citing potential violations of international conventions, particularly the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Ukrainian diplomat emphasized the imperative for ECOSOC to scrutinize the activities of the World Russian People’s Council.

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Experts from the Institute for the Study of War have pointed out the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in fostering a broader nationalist ideology surrounding the conflict in Ukraine, indicating a concerted effort to bolster Russia’s expansionist agenda.

In light of these developments, Kyslytsya urged ECOSOC to assess the council's activities and consider revoking its special consultative status, stressing the importance of upholding the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.

Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, appealed to the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with a proposal to deprive the World Russian People's Council of its special consultative status for spreading xenophobic, neo-Nazi, and neo-colonial narratives.

That’s according to Kyslytsya’s comment to Ukrinform.

“Ukraine expresses deep concern that the World Russian People’s Council, which promotes racist, xenophobic, neo-Nazi, and neo-colonial narratives, continues to use ECOSOC’s special consultative status,” the permanent representative said in a letter to the President of the UN Economic and Social Council.

According to the diplomat, not only does this allow the neo-colonial body to exploit the authority of a UN body as a cover for supporting Russian aggression in the media space and whitewashing war crimes, it also undermines trust in ECOSOC and the United Nations as a whole.

The envoy says the actions of the “Russian Council” may violate the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and other international conventions.

The diplomat recalled that, under the ECOSOC resolution, for it to establish consultative relations with non-governmental organizations, their goals and tasks must correspond to the spirit, goals and principles of the UN Charter.

The consultative status of a non-profit operating under ECOSOC shall be suspended or revoked if the organization, directly or through its affiliates or representatives, clearly abuses this status, in particular for unfounded or politically motivated actions against UN member states.

Kyslytsya suggests that the leaders of ECOSOC assess the activities of the “Russian Council” and take appropriate measures, as well as eye the possibility of launching the procedure for revoking its special consultative status.

The so-called World Russian People's Council was created under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1993. Currently, it is headed by the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Vladimir Gundyaev (“Patriarch Kirill”).

This week, the “Russian Council” passed the decree entitled “The Present and Future of the Russian World’” which declares neo-Nazi and xenophobic goals. In particular, the decree states that “the special military operation is a new stage of the national liberation struggle of the Russian people against the criminal Kyiv regime and the collective West,” which is referred to as a “holy war.”

“After the conclusion of the SMO, the entire territory of modern-day Ukraine shall enter the zone of Russia’s exclusive influence,” the decree reads.

In addition, the document contains anti-scientific theses about the “millennial history of Russian statehood” and “the triunity of the Russian people.”

As reported, the Institute for the Study of War think tank concluded that the Russian Orthodox Church had formed a broader nationalist ideology around the war in Ukraine and Russia’s expansionist plans.