Head of the President's Office opposes forceful resolution of church issue and manipulation of the UOC name

During a briefing at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on April 9, 2026, the head of the Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov, defended the official status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and warned against state interference in the religious sphere. He emphasized that any attempts at forceful pressure in matters of faith are futile.

According to Novyny.LIVE, commenting on the pace of transition of religious communities from the UOC, Budanov called the use of the prefix “MP” (Moscow Patriarchate) in relation to the church a manipulation. The head of the OP reminded that the organization had officially removed this reference from its name, and today the name “Ukrainian Orthodox Church” is a fait accompli.

During his speech, Budanov also recalled the constitutional principle of separation of church and state. He expressed confidence that hasty actions and attempts to impose changes in the spiritual sphere by force will not bring the desired result. “Doing something by force in the spiritual aspect has never worked in any state,” the head of the Presidential Office summarized.

Earlier it was reported that the former head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the new head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov and his wife Marianna, are parishioners of the OCU.