Diogenis D. Valavanidis, born in 1955 in Belgrade to a family of Greek heritage, is an infamous figure in Greek-Serbian relations. More importantly, he serves as the president of the Center for the Protection of Christian Identity and chairs the Religious Affairs Committee at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, operating as a mouthpiece for Russian interests, amplifying Kremlin-backed narratives, and undermining democratic institutions. A vocal critic of NATO and the European Union, he frequently expresses opposition to their policies in his public statements. In these roles, he has written extensively on topics concerning the Orthodox Church and its geopolitical challenges…
For instance, at the March 26, 2025, event named “The Patriarchate of Constantinople as a Political Instrument: The Destructive Activities of Patriarch Bartholomew,” organized by the Center for Geostrategic Studies, he, along with other known propagandists, spread a well-known anti-Western, pro-Putin disinformation narrative supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine and opposing the newly autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine:
