Last week, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed a new decree which will allow foreign nationals to apply for a temporary visa of three months in Russia, bypassing the established quota regarding knowledge of the Russian language, its history and fundamental laws. The decree aims to provide “assistance to any foreigners who want to escape the neoliberal ideas being put forward in their countries and move to Russia”. While at first glance it may seem that the Russian government is using this decree as a publicity stunt amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and their isolation from the West, it is important to carefully examine the sub-context of this decree and its potential consequences. This is a significant moment for us in the European Union to reflect on why we have lost our sense of morality and tradition, and why we are no longer perceived as the bearers of Western civilization. In the end, we are witnessing the spiritual and cultural battle between modernity and tradition.
The newest signed decree aims to provide “a safe haven” for foreign citizens who reject their country's “destructive” neo-liberal policies which are contrary to the promotion of traditionalism and spiritual values. In the following months, the Russian government is expected to publish a detailed list of the countries it views as offenders, while the Russian Foreign Ministry plans to start issuing these temporary visas as early as September.
If someone was to read this 10 or 15 years ago I can only assume they would laugh at Russia being regarded a safe haven. Indeed for decades the European Union and the broader Occident were regarded as a haven and a place where everyone wanted to start a new life for themselves. Times have changed. A groundswell, rejecting what is considered ‘western values’, has emerged.
There is a burgeoning silent majority in the West, particularly in the EU, that views what we have become with disbelief. In my view, it is no coincidence that this decree was signed just a few weeks after the end of the Paris Olympics. France had the opportunity to revel in its rich history and culture. We were, however, presented with a showcase of degeneracy and religious blasphemy. The parody of the Last Supper was the tipping point that angered millions of observant and non-observant Christians alike and, I will argue, was just enough encouragement for Putin to sign this new decree. Although artistic freedom has its place, the constant mockery and ridicule of their religion can push the patience of millions of Christians to its limits. How is it possible for Europe to be stranded so far from God?
Apart from the cultural and spiritual aspects, the newest Russian decree comes at a very peculiar time where political and social tensions are rising in Europe and governments are turning against their own citizens. There is no better example than Keir Starmer’s UK that seems to have used George Orwell’s “1984” book as an instruction manual. Since his appointment as Prime Minister, Mr Starmer has been a disaster for his fellow Brits. His blatant attacks on British citizens whom he labels as “far-right” have fermented social division inside the UK, where citizens opposing mass immigration can get up to two years in prison for social media posts. Meanwhile, illegal Muslim immigrants form gangs that prey on little girls and get the same or even reduced sentence, doing community service instead. These are the same people that declare as quoted by BBC news that “local girls were there to be used and played with”. Apart from these heinous crimes, we are witnessing daily stabbings across the UK, and a rise in theft and violence on the streets. On top of all that, Mr Starmer’s primary concern is “far-right” protesters who do not wish their kids to be murdered in broad daylight.
This is not a British sickness. It has emerged in France, the Netherlands, Germany, and is continuing to spread across Europe. I do not say this as a statement to advertise moving to Russia. On the contrary, it is a critique of ourselves and how we have allowed other states to claim the role of safe haven for traditional values. Not everything in Russia is great and there are a lot of problems, however, by leaving European social discourse as it is we are directly fuelling the idea that we are helpless in the face of our auto-catastrophic ideological battles between modernity and tradition.
We have to realise sooner rather than later that Russia is playing the long-term game of positioning itself as the last bastion of freedom. Russia presents itself as an alternative to the liberal chaos that we are witnessing. An alternative to the massive demographic changes in Europe, and to the degeneracy and promotion of poisonous ideologies that stand for the rejection of Christianity. It does all that without employing its monstrous propaganda machine against Europe because, unbelievably, we are doing it for them. In the end, Russia will continue to strategically undermine Western influence and question the depiction of Western civilisation.
In these difficult times, we need to take responsibility and realise that we have embraced a liberal agenda that is not working and not benefiting any European citizen. By rejecting morality and tradition and replacing it with degeneracy and modernity, we are slowly becoming a people without a need to fight for meaning. This is not the Europe our ancestors fought for, and we must not allow any more damage to be done. Our battles have also become spiritual, and in such bleak times, our lives will only become meaningful when there is a cause to fight for them.
Image: Wikimedia Commons/The Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
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