"The Authorities Intend to Use the UOC in Their Election Strategy," Says Political Analyst

Political analyst Volodymyr Tsybulko believes that the authorities are deliberately postponing the resolution of the issue concerning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). According to him, after the death of Andriy Portnov, who for some time oversaw contacts with the UOC, the Office of the President decided to keep it as a political asset. Tsybulko spoke about this in an interview on a YouTube channel hosted by Oleksandr Syrtsov.

“On Bankova Street [the Presidential Administration], they realized that the UOC is a fairly cohesive network that can be useful in elections,” Tsybulko said. He reminded that out of more than 11,000 UOC parishes, only about 2,000 have «switched» to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). The rest represent a significant human and economic resource that the authorities are in no hurry to lose.

The political analyst also highlighted the economic significance of the UOC. According to him, the lavras functioned as religious and commercial centers, and the market volume of church products in Ukraine reached up to $1.5 billion. For this reason, he believes the issue of the UOC is being artificially delayed.

According to Tsybulko, the Office of the President will continue to avoid decisive actions regarding the UOC, hiding behind rhetoric about freedom of conscience. “They will dodge, deny, and say that they can do nothing,” Tsybulko believes.

We would also like to remind you that Valeriy Zub, a member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine from the Servant of the People party, explained why he did not vote for anti-church law No. 3894, which was aimed at banning the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The MP is convinced that it is inappropriate to adopt laws that will divide society, especially during the war.