Source: The National Herald By Dr. André Gerolymatos Moscow’s interest in Eastern Orthodoxy is an integral part of Russia’s geopolitical grand strategy with the Middle East and central to its ambitions. Moscow has supported the regime in Syria in order to maintain its naval facility, however, there are other considerations, especially religious matters. The naval base located in Tartus, a city in Northern Syria, is the only foreign Russian base. In 2017, Moscow signed a new lease with Bashir al-Assad that will permit Moscow to expand the base and service larger Russian warships. The base enables the Russian navy to…
FILE - Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko, left, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I sign an agreement following their meeting at the patriarchate in Istanbul, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)