News
Ukrainian Baptist Leader Rejects Claims of Religious Persecution in Ukraine
Ukrainian Baptist leader Valeriy Antoniuk dismissed reports of religious persecution in Ukraine as Russian propaganda and urged American-based Ukrainian Christians to advocate for Kyiv.
FAIRLESS HILLS, PA — Valeriy Antoniuk, head of the All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, urged Ukrainians living in the United States to intensify their support for Ukraine while rejecting allegations that religious freedom is being restricted there. Antoniuk spoke at Slavic Regeneration Church during a meeting with Ukrainian Christians.
Antoniuk said more than 2,000 evangelical Baptist churches continue to operate in Ukraine and called on the diaspora to maintain close ties with the country. He encouraged Christians to meet with governors, congressmen, and senators, explain Ukraine’s situation to American officials and counter what he described as Russian propaganda.
Addressing claims of religious persecution, Antoniuk said reports that believers’ rights were being violated were part of efforts to distort the situation in Ukraine. “I don’t know a bigger country that has more democracy and freedom than today’s Ukraine,” he said. He also called on Ukrainians attending Slavic churches in America to become more active in public advocacy, declaring, “Ukrainians in Slavic churches — it's time to wake up. The truth must be told.”
Antoniuk described the conflict as a spiritual struggle and criticized the Russian Orthodox Church over what he characterized as its support for the Russian military. He urged Ukrainian Christians in the United States to continue assisting Ukraine and supported the development of an American-Ukrainian Christian Alliance.
His remarks drew criticism from Christian human-rights activist Boris Perchatkin, who disputed Antoniuk’s characterization of Ukraine’s democracy and religious-freedom situation. Perchatkin raised concerns about conscientious objectors and alleged restrictions on freedom of expression, arguing that claims about Ukraine should not be presented without acknowledging those issues.
Previously, the UOJ reported that police expelled a UOC priest and parishioners from a church in Biloziria.
Read also
