The proposed ban on Ukraine’s largest church is an “unacceptable” violation of religious freedom, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a press briefing in Moscow on Tuesday. This comes after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed legislation last week that could potentially shut down the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC. The UOC has historical ties with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), making it a target for potential bans under the new law, which affects any religious group suspected of having links to Russia.
Peskov described the situation as “a blatant attack on religious freedom, an attack on the Orthodox Church as a whole, and an attack on Christianity.” The bill has been criticized in many countries, including the Vatican. Pope Francis commented on the new Ukrainian legislation last week, expressing his fear for the freedom of those who pray and urging against abolishing any church.
The UOC was officially formed in 1990 as a branch of the Russian Orthodox Church, with more than 8,000 parishes across the country. In May 2022, following the outbreak of conflict between Moscow and Kiev, it announced its full autonomy from the Moscow Patriarchate. Despite this move towards independence, Kiev has used the UOC’s alleged links to Moscow to justify raids on church properties and arrests of priests.
The law, which will come into force in just under a month, gives the UOC nine months to sever all ties with the ROC. The Holy Synod of the ROC issued a statement comparing the new legislation with Soviet-style repression and other historical persecutions of Christians.