The head of the Ukrainian Baptists rejected claims of religious persecution in Ukraine

Valery Antonyuk, head of the All-Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Christian-Baptist Churches, stated during a visit to the U.S. that there is no religious persecution in Ukraine, calling such claims “a product of Russian propaganda.” The Baptist leader called on believers in the diaspora to more actively counter the spread of information about violations of believers’ rights.

Speaking to congregants at Regeneration Church in Pennsylvania, Antonyuk emphasized that, despite criticism from a number of foreign politicians and government officials, Ukraine remains a country with a high level of democracy and religious freedom. According to him, attempts to discredit the Ukrainian state are part of a “spiritual struggle” instigated by Russia.

In his speech, Valeriy Antonyuk called on representatives of the Christian community in the U.S. to engage in more intensive outreach with American officials and to promote the development of the U.S.-Ukrainian Christian alliance. He described the current information campaign as an attempt to distort the actual state of affairs in the country, urging supporters not to succumb to propaganda and to continue political advocacy in support of Ukraine.

As a reminder, earlier, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, spoke about the problems faced by the ROC delegation while disseminating information about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church during the session of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC). According to the bishop, representatives of certain Protestant denominations were particularly active in obstructing the discussion on state repression against the UOC, claiming that the facts presented by the ROC delegation were allegedly unsubstantiated.