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Military operation in Ukraine

MFA says prosecution of Orthodox Christians makes it harder for Ukraine to achieve peace

According to Maria Zakharova, the provocative steps of the Kiev government, including the persecution of fellow citizens based on religion, only exacerbate the protracted crisis and postpone the prospect of a peaceful settlement in the country

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday said in a statement that Kiev is making peace in the country a more distant prospect by provocative steps including religiously motivated persecution.

The statement is dedicated to a meeting of the UN Security Council on the persecution of Orthodox Christians by the government of Ukraine, which took place on January 17 at the request of Russia.

Vasily Nebenzya, the Russian envoy to the UN, said at the meeting that officials in Kiev, by their moves against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, had brought Ukraine to the brink of a religious conflict that hasn’t been seen in modern-day Europe. He also said the Ukrainian government, supported by its Western handlers, have adopted the policy of undermining the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

"The discussion made it possible to confirm the obvious - the normalization of the situation in the socio-political and religious area in Ukraine is an important milestone on the way to achieving sustainable peace, while the provocative steps of the Kiev government, including the persecution of fellow citizens based on religion, only exacerbate the protracted crisis and postpone the prospect of a peaceful settlement in the country," Zakharova said.

The UOC is a self-governed church exercising broad autonomy within the Moscow Patriarchate. The special status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is enshrined in the charter of the Russian Orthodox Church that was adopted in 2000. However, the council of the UOC on May 27, 2022 said it amended the UOC charter to make it fully independent. The Ukrainian government have recently stepped up the efforts aimed against the UOC. Starting from November 2022, the Ukrainian Security Service has performed searched at its temples and premises across the country. Some senior priests have been accused of treason and subversive activity.

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Foreign policy Maria Zakharova Military operation in Ukraine

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