On 20 August 2024, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted a law on the activities of religious organisations that can unite Ukrainian society by 265 votes.
The vast majority of Ukrainians do not accept the connection of any organisation in Ukraine with the russian state.
This applies in particular to Ukrainian religious organisations.
The so-called ‘russian orthodox church’ has become a de facto part of the state apparatus of putin's criminal totalitarian regime, and is used by russia to justify and support aggression against Ukraine and putin's insane policies in general.
The russian orthodox church sanctifies russian actions and justifies the atrocities that russians have brought to Ukraine. There can be no possibility for such russian structures to operate in Ukraine, either directly or through organisations dependent on the roc.
The law “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Field of Activities of Religious Organisations” encourages religious organisations in Ukraine to break the existing ties with the russian state – with the governing centres of the so-called “russian orthodox church” operating in russia.
This is an absolutely civilised and democratic law that establishes a transparent legal procedure for identifying ties with russia.
This will be done by the expertise of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, which will form an impartial and independent commission of experts. Then, through a judicial procedure, all the facts will be established and the severance of ties with russia will be ensured.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church must be freed from dependence on russian state structures and gain true independence from moscow.
The law also stipulates that church organisations dependent on russia will not be able to use state and municipal property – this is fair and also regulated by the relevant legal procedure.
This law does not prohibit the activities of the UOC, because we protect religious freedom in our society.
But it effectively puts an end to the influence of the russian criminal state and its accomplice, the moscow patriarchate, on Ukraine and encourages church structures in Ukraine to get rid of such destructive dependence.
And this is an absolutely achievable goal for the UOC.
This was supported by the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations at a meeting with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, and it was openly stated.
The President Zelenskyi stressed that this path allows people to exercise their rights and freedom to freely confess and choose their religion and at the same time guarantees Ukraine's spiritual independence.