A DESS expert discussed the situation regarding religious freedom in Ukraine with representatives of the U.S. State Department

Andrei Smirnov, a member of the DESS Expert Council, held a working meeting with representatives of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Religious Freedom in Washington. The main topic of discussion was the current situation regarding religious freedom in Ukraine, which is a key focus for the U.S. agency responsible for compiling global reports on the status of religious believers.

Notably, the details of the talks have not been made public. However, experts note that the visit is taking place against the backdrop of active efforts by Ukrainian government agencies to demonstrate to Western partners their commitment to democratic standards and freedom of religion.

At the same time, the State Service for Ethnopolitics continues to take a hard line against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In particular, the agency published a report, , in which it accused Robert Amsterdam, an international lawyer for the UOC, of distorting the facts about the religious situation in the country and of hindering Ukraine’s ability to receive international aid. Critics of the DESS’s actions point to a contradiction between the official assurances of government representatives and the actual measures taken to discredit the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its legal defenders.