Ban of Moscow-linked church in Ukraine is аbout security, not religion, says MP

MP Volodymyr Ariev announced this on Espreso TV.

“As of August 18, this draft law is the first on the agenda after the Verkhovna Rada session opens on Tuesday. This means it will be voted on immediately. I can only confirm whether it will pass once I see the numbers on the scoreboard. There might be provocations, given MP Dmytruk's ‘ritual dances’ - we might expect some counteractions. While I’m not sure about his influence, we understand that various tactics could be used. If it involves Moscow priests, provocations could be diverse. I don’t want to speculate, but given the sectarianism and the involvement of Russian special services, we need to be cautious,” he said.

The authorities find themselves in a position where they have no choice but to vote to ban the UOC-MP, the MP added.

“We will see whether the law will be voted on Tuesday. However, the fact that, in the third year of the full-scale war with Russia, the religious department of the Russian FSB in Ukraine has not yet been addressed even at the level of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine raises serious questions. After all, the bill is not just about religion, but about security.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, due to its direct ties with the special services of the aggressor country, will be banned. A church connected to the Russian Orthodox Church and registered in Ukraine must sever all ties with the Russian Federation immediately, or its activities will be terminated. Parishes are given 9 months to decide whether they will align with Ukraine or the aggressor, as each parish and church in a village or town is registered as a separate legal entity,” he explained.

• The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is connected to the Russian Orthodox Church. This Moscow-linked church has broadly supported Russia's war against Ukraine.