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# OCU Head Claims Vance’s Criticism Influenced by Russian Propaganda
- URL: https://uoj.news/news/ocu-head-claims-vances-criticism-influenced-by-russian-propaganda/
- Published: 2026-10-17T17:20:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-17T17:20:15.000Z
- Description: Epiphany Dumenko alleged that UOC representatives in the United States pay lobbyists and public figures to spread Russian propaganda, while maintaining that religious freedom is fully protected in Ukraine.
- Author: Aaron Hickman
- Tags: #Category: News, JD Vance, Epiphany Dumenko, OCU, Ukraine Schism, UOC

**KYIV —** The head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Epiphany Dumenko, has claimed that U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s criticism of restrictions on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) may have been influenced by Russian propaganda.

In an [interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FcwzGV333I) with Radio Liberty, Dumenko was asked about Vance’s statements concerning restrictions on religious freedom in Ukraine and the OCU’s contacts with the U.S. administration. The interviewer noted that Dumenko had met twice with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during Donald Trump’s first presidential term and asked how the OCU communicates its position to conservative American politicians.

[![](https://uoj.news/content/images/2026/10/1791827496-276.jpg)On this topicDumenko on Church Seizures: ‘The Process is Ongoing and Irreversible’](https://uoj.news/news/dumenko-on-church-seizures-the-process-is-ongoing-and-irreversible/)

As [reported](https://spzh.eu/ua/news/96488-rosijska-propahanda-dumenko-prokomentuvav-slova-vensa-na-zakhist-upts.html) by UOJ-Ukraine, Dumenko did not identify any meetings with members of the current administration. Instead, he stated: “We cooperate, we travel, we participate in various events, and we bear witness to the truth, because Russian propaganda is actually trying to infiltrate everywhere.”

He then alleged that UOC representatives in the United States pay substantial sums to lobbyists and prominent lawyers. After initially naming UOC protodeacon Vadym Novynskyi, whom the interviewer corrected him about, Dumenko cited UOC lawyer Robert Amsterdam and media personality Tucker Carlson.

“In other words, there are powerful mouthpieces that, for money, practically broadcast all this Russian propaganda. And someone who has not looked into the situation, of course, may misunderstand it,” he said.

The OCU head subsequently reiterated that “there is no persecution whatsoever in Ukraine” and that there is “complete freedom of religion.” He also stated, “A cassock does not shield anyone from responsibility,” noting that “hundreds of cases” against UOC clergy are currently before Ukrainian courts.

Dumenko did not explain why the reported cases involve clergy of one specific Church or address how their prosecution aligns with his assertion of complete religious freedom.

Previously, the UOJ [reported](https://uoj.news/news/dumenko-questions-uoc-claims-of-church-seizures-in-ukraine/) that Dumenko accused the UOC of provoking conflicts during parish transfers, claiming that resistance to the handover of churches was orchestrated to make the process appear coercive.