[C19fan]

He upholds Christian values because, traditionally, the church (both Orthodox and Roman Catholic) functions as an arm of the State, dating back to the NKVD. He's simply looking-out for his "friends."

Actually that close relationship goes back to the Tsars who imported Caesaropapism from the Byzantines.

[1rudeboy]

I’ll admit, my knowledge of Russian history only extends into the Tsarist era.