TEHRAN, October 19. /TASS/. The West would prefer that Ukrainians, in their religious outlook, lean not on traditional Christian values, but rather to the so-called "freethought" currently being actively promoted in Europe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a joint press conference following talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

He noted that the eradication of traditional, centuries-old Orthodoxy in Ukraine introduces a religious dimension to the war being waged against Russia.

"Western Europe would likely feel more comfortable if Ukrainians, in their religious views, aligned themselves with what is termed 'freethought' - a concept currently being actively imposed across Europe - as an alternative to the traditional Christian values that have endured for centuries, and indeed, for millennia," Lavrov pointed out.

He added that there had been an attempt to replace the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine by artificially creating a rival. "They are not having much success with this, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church remains the leading church in Ukraine, but a war is indeed being waged against it," he explained.