On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law banning the Russian-linked Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The decision was promptly published on the Ukrainian parliament’s website.
Since 2014, Ukraine has been working to distance itself from the Russian church, with these efforts intensifying following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Zelensky approved the controversial bill on Kyiv’s Independence Day from the Soviet Union, marking two and a half years into the ongoing invasion.
He stated that this move would reinforce Ukraine’s independence, declaring in his address: “Ukrainian Orthodox (church) today is taking a step towards liberation from Moscow’s devils.”
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church officially separated from the Moscow patriarchate in 2022, but Ukrainian officials have frequently accused its clergy of remaining loyal to Russia.
Notably, Russia’s invasion has been supported by the Orthodox Church’s leader, Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin.