The Ukrainian parliament has signaled its intent to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) after accusing it of cooperating with Russia in the wake of the 2022 invasion. Despite the UOC’s assertion that it has severed ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, Kyiv maintains its allegations. The church has argued that the proposed ban would breach the constitution.
Yaroslav Zheleznyak, an MP, revealed via Telegram that the bill received approval during its preliminary reading. To become a law, it requires further approval in a second reading and the president’s endorsement. The proposed legislation seeks to prohibit the activities of religious entities affiliated with influential centers in nations that have committed armed aggression against Ukraine. In such cases, their operations could be terminated through a legal judgment.
Iryna Herashchenko, another MP, emphasized the significance of this vote, viewing it as a stride toward expelling “Moscow priests from the Ukrainian territory.”
In its defense, the UOC expressed its independence as a distinct church. It condemned Kyiv’s attempts to misrepresent it as an extension of the Russian Orthodox Church and to depict its Ukrainian clergy and followers as “Russian agents.”
Historically, many in Ukraine and the government have perceived the UOC as pro-Moscow. Following Russia’s full-blown invasion in February 2022, scrutiny on the church intensified. Notably, even after the church proclaimed its dissociation from the Russian Orthodox Church in May 2022, a government panel has determined that canonical connections with Russia persist.
Metropolitan Pavlo, the UOC’s second-ranking priest, is under suspicion for promoting inter-religious animosity and circulating materials that endorse Russian aggression, claims he refutes. Since last year’s Russian invasion, Ukraine’s Security Service has initiated 68 criminal cases against UOC members, some of which include treason charges.
Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko opined that even if the ban materializes, the UOC’s activities might continue, and the decision could face challenges domestically and at the European Court of Human Rights. He suggested the possibility of the church reestablishing itself, avoiding any canonical affiliations with Russia.