KIEV, April 29. /TASS/. A draft resolution on the introduction of sanctions against the Russian Orthodox Church, including Patriarch Kirill, of Moscow and all Russia, was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada on Friday.
As follows from the document uploaded to the Ukrainian parliament’s website, the bill envisages "special economic and other restrictive measures" against Patriarch Kirill, of Moscow and All Russia, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s external relations department, Bishop Hilarion, of Volokolamsk, his deputy, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, and Metropolitan Tikhon, of Pskov and Porkhov.
According to the text of the draft, the Verkhovna Rada is to approve and submit to the National Defense and Security Council for consideration proposals for sanctions against the aforesaid persons. The list of restrictive measures consists of 19 paragraphs, including a freeze on assets, restrictions on trading operations, a ban on using Ukraine’s radio frequencies, restrictions on the withdrawal of cash from bank cards, termination of cultural exchanges and theological cooperation, refusal to issue visas, cancellation of official visits, revocation of state decorations and other sanctions.
The explanatory note argues that ROC representatives "systematically and actively" support Russia’s actions and that the adoption of this document will allegedly "contribute to easing real and potential risks to Ukraine’s national interests, information security, sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The bill was proposed by legislators from the ruling party Servant of the People, European Solidarity, led by the ex-president Pyotr Poroshenko and other political forces, as well as two legislators from the associations Svoboda and Golos. Each of them earlier submitted to the Verkhovna Rada their own bills on banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine.