Rep. Anna Paulina Luna to Zelensky: No Church—No Weapons

WASHINGTON DC — U.S. Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has publicly condemned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his government's ongoing persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). In a strongly worded post on her X (formerly Twitter) account, Luna warned that such actions could justify halting American military support to Ukraine.

“ZELENSKY BANNED THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. I CAN PROMISE YOU THERE WILL BE NO FUNDING FOR WEAPONS FOR YOU. MAKE PEACE. WE ARE NOT YOUR PIGGY BANK,” Luna wrote in all caps, tagging Zelensky’s official account.

The congresswoman, a Republican known for her outspoken views, also took aim at online commentators defending Ukraine’s religious crackdown by claiming it only affects the “Russian Church.”

“Oh man. The Ukraine bots are big mad about this one. ‘It was okay because it was Russian Orthodox.’ All of a sudden these pro-war shills are religious experts and telepathic, as they are CERTAIN not one Christian went to those churches to worship God,” Luna wrote. “Imagine if we did that in the States. Hypocrites.”

In a follow-up comment, Catherine Whiteford, Co-chairman of the Young Republican National Federation, thanked Rep. Luna for speaking out and noted that “Zelensky has now revoked Ukrainian citizenship from [the UOC’s – Ed.] Metropolitan Onuphry with no just cause.” Whiteford also directed Luna to a viral video investigation she released on June 2, 2025, documenting church seizures in the Bukovina region.

Luna’s remarks come amid growing concern in Washington over the Ukrainian government’s actions toward the UOC—the country’s only canonical Orthodox Church and its largest religious denomination. Ukrainian authorities have launched criminal investigations, targeted clergy for forced conscription, seized churches, and evicted monastics from sacred sites, including the world-renowned Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, alleging links to Russian influence.  

Despite the intensity of the crackdown, Western audiences have been slow to react. Human rights activists in Kyiv, speaking on condition of anonymity, claim this silence is due to the regime weaponizing the judiciary against dissent— whether it comes from journalists, attorneys, parliamentarians or ordinary citizens. 

Earlier, the Ukrainian Bureau of the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ/SPZh) reported that the head of U.S. National Intelligence had also criticized Ukraine’s government for claiming to uphold religious freedom while simultaneously closing churches.

The remarks from Luna reflect a shift in discourse within the American political establishment, where questions are being raised not only about the cost of continued military aid, but also about the values the U.S. is supporting abroad.

As Ukraine continues to receive billions in Western assistance, concerns like Luna’s underscore a growing insistence on aligning military support with respect for basic human rights—chief among them, freedom of religion.

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