Zelenskyy rejects accusations of alleged religious persecution in Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reminded that the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine is often controlled by Russian intelligence and that it has no right to influence believers and parishes of the Ukrainian church, according to his interview with Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro.
In response to questions regarding accusations from the Ukrainian authorities about restricting freedom of religion concerning the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, Zelenskyy stated that there are no shadow practices and that we are absolutely open and transparent.
"Everyone can tell you there is no pressure. That's non-existent. Every holiday we're together. We have people from different religions, and we always inviting everyone. That's important," the president emphasized.
According to the president, the issue is not with the Moscow Church, but with the fact that in the case of Russia, Moscow is just another division of the KGB.
"Everyone knows that Russia's special services are in control of the churches. Well, this is how they have. That's their choice. And their people either support that or not – that’s their choice. And we've never raised this question before the war, and during the war. But that's a fact that their special services are in control of the church. The problem was that their special forces were in control of the churches in Ukraine. That's not the truth that the church should be equal,l and Moscow could not be in control of our church. Their KGB, their intelligence, could not be in control or could not be managing the Ukrainian church. They should not be here," Zelenskyy said.
According to the president, legislative changes in Ukraine are related to the fact that there can be no connection between Moscow and the church.
He added that no one has closed anything or banned anyone, but it cannot be that the Russian KGB controls the church in Ukraine. Zelenskyy noted that everyone is against such legal connections, and it's not just about connections at the intelligence level.
"There was a legal connection, legal ties for many years, but that shouldn't be the case. We shouldn't be having disputes or controversies about whose church is older than the others. And Ukraine shouldn't be speaking about this. Look, we're sitting here close to the Sophia Cathedral. Sophia is older than Russia's capital city. And any churches, that they have... this building is older. That's the answer," the president said.
The president added that Ukraine should not have disputes (on religious issues. - ed.) and that we have scientific evidence.
"We're just saying that our church should be free from any authorities. It's free for the people," Zelenskyy concluded.
Subversive activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine
The Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine (formerly the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate) actively spreads pro-Russian propaganda, incites believers against the current government in Ukraine, and engages in other actions that are blatant acts of sabotage in favor of Russia.
Recently, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) issued suspicion notices in absentia for 14 Russian clergymen who are aiding the spread of the Russian regime in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
In mid-April, the SSU raided the office of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, as it is considered the main lobbyist of Kremlin interests in Ukraine.
In February, the SSU conducted searches at the residences of two leaders of UOC MP churches in the Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia regions. They were praising Russian President Vladimir Putin and spreading anti-Semitic slogans among parishioners.
