The Ukrainian government is taking action against one of the religious organizations connected with Russia and its ongoing war against Ukraine – many even aiding and abetting the Russian military. As a result, there has been an aggressive reaction among pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian figures in the West.
In the United States, headlines to the effect that Ukraine is allegedly banning Christianity or the Orthodox Church are being spread by many MAGA supporters. Congressmember Anna Paulina Luna, said two months ago that the Orthodox Church had been banned by President Zelensky himself.
Even respected media, such as ABC, picked up on these claims, misusing the word “ban” in its headline to describe a much more complicated processes of mitigating Moscow’s influence in Ukraine, which the Kremlin has historically done through ostensibly religious organizations as well as other means.
Who is “banning” whom?
Kyiv Post has been keeping track of what is happening with regard to the Religious Organizations law. In short: No, no one is banning any religious organization.
On Aug. 20, 2024, the Ukrainian parliament passed a historic law: “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Activities of Religious Organizations.” Its aim is to prohibit the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Ukraine, which has overtly supported Russian military activities on Ukrainian territory.
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