“We will guarantee the complete independence of our state. In particular, thespiritual independence. We will never allow anyone to build an empire in the Ukrainian soul”. Volodymyr Zelensky shines the spotlight on Ukraine’s spiritual and religious independence, highlighting the importance of a specific aspect in the war against Russia. Zelensky provides updates after the meeting of the National Security Council “in which we examined numerous facts about the links between some religious circles in Ukraine with the aggressor state”. “First: the National Security and Defense Council has instructed the government to present a draft law to the Verkhovna Rada to prevent religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence of the Russian Federation from operating in Ukraine,” the president rattles off.
“Second – he continues -: the State Service for ethnopolitics and freedom of conscience” must “ensure the conduct of a religious examination of the Statute on the Management of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for the presence of an ecclesiastical-canonical connection with the Moscow Patriarchate and, if necessary, to take measures prescribed by law”.
The third point provides to “ensure verification of the presence of legal grounds and compliance with the conditions of use by religious organizations of the property located on the territory of the Kiev-Pechersk National Historical and Cultural Reserve. Fourth: all bodies responsible for ensuring national security should step up measures to identify and counter the subversive activities of the Russian special services in the religious environment of Ukraine. And apply personal sanctions: the names will soon be made public”. “And fifth. We must raise the status and strengthen the capabilities of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience. This structure will be reformed, which will allow it to truly protect the rights and legitimate interests of Ukrainians and the state”, concludes Zelensky, stating that “with these and other decisions we guarantee the spiritual independence of Ukraine”.
