UCCRO Endorses Continued Pressure on the UOC

Zelensky with UCCRO members. Photo: OP

UCCRO issued a statement regarding “media reports” that during negotiations with Trump, Putin allegedly “insisted on guarantees for granting the Russian language official status in Ukraine and ‘security for Russian Orthodox churches’” (quote from UCCRO – Ed.).

UCCRO declared that Ukraine is “known worldwide for its high standards of religious freedom, which are preserved and respected even under martial law,” and further claimed that Law 3894 (commonly referred to as the law banning the UOC) is based on “the principles of a democratic society.”

The statement asserted that DESS has “conducted such an inquiry and established that the religious association known as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), through its central governing body – the Kyiv Metropolis – retains the characteristics of affiliation with the ROC defined in the law.”

“We, the members of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, express our support for the Ukrainian state in defending Ukraine’s legitimate interests at the international level and in building relations with other states based on the principle of 'reciprocity.' Ukraine must not be forced into 'asymmetric' obligations concerning the special status of the Russian language, culture, the Russian Orthodox Church, or participation in international organizations. Ukraine and the Ukrainian people have earned the right to independently choose their path of further development and cooperation with international partners,” UCCRO members stated.

Earlier, the UOJ's Ukrainian branch (SPZh) reported that the authorities praised UCCRO for its “religious diplomacy.”

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