“Zelensky personally coordinates the seizure of churches and the persecution of Orthodox Christians,” - MP Dmitruk

Ukrainian MP Artem Dmitruk told Cypriot media about the persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The MP emphasized that Volodymyr Zelensky personally coordinates the process of liquidating the UOC and intends to expel His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry from Ukraine. He said this in an interview with the Simerini newspaper.

«Zelensky personally coordinates the seizure of churches and the persecution of Orthodox Christians. This is his strategic goal—to deprive the people of their spiritual foundation, to destroy our faith, to destroy the foundation on which Ukraine has stood for centuries. He understands very well that as long as the Church exists, the people exist. As long as there is faith, the regime cannot completely subjugate people’s consciousness. Dozens of priests and bishops are currently in prison or being persecuted,» — the deputy said.

Dmytruk added that Zelensky plans to deport the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, from Ukraine. He believes that such a move by the head of state will lead to the complete elimination of the UOC.

«Just recently, Zelensky stripped His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, of his Ukrainian citizenship. He wants to expel him from the country in order to pave the way for the complete destruction of the Church. For Zelensky, the Church is an enemy. Because it does not lie, does not remain silent, and does not serve politics. And this means that it interferes with the establishment of a dictatorship,» — said the MP.

It should be noted that Ukrainian religious scholar and expert of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) Andriy Smirnov believes that the state will not deport the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church due to his loss of Ukrainian citizenship. According to Smirnov, personal sanctions will most likely be imposed on His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry, which, however, will not affect his position in any way.