The head of Ukraine's DESS called for the exclusion of the Russian Orthodox Church from the World Council of Churches and the expansion of sanctions against its clergy

The head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), Viktor Yelenskyy, has called on the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to be excluded from the World Council of Churches. In his opinion, the activities of the Moscow Patriarchate «directly contradict Christian precepts and are aimed at destroying the Ukrainian identity».

According to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Viktor Yelensky called the Russian Orthodox Church «an enemy of religious freedom» during a scientific seminar. In addition to personal restrictions on the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Yelensky insists on the need for sanctions against bishops and clerics who «directly participate in the chanting of war, serve the armed formations of the Russian Federation and conduct subversive work in the countries of Western Europe.»

At the same time, the head of the DESS emphasized that the issue of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s activities requires a balanced approach. He rejected the possibility of severely restricting the rights of believers and clergy of the Church, pointing out that «religious freedom remains a fundamental value for the Ukrainian state and society».

We shall remind you that on November 18, 2025, the head of the State Service of Ukraine on Ethno-politics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) Viktor Yelensky met with the Prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Catholic Churches, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, in the Vatican. During the dialog, the parties discussed the religious situation in Ukraine and the implementation of Law No. 3894 aimed at banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.