Poturaev: We must tell Europe that UOC is a tool of Putin's dictatorship

Nikita Poturaev. Photo: bbc.com

On April 10, 2023, Nikita Poturaev, MP from the Servant of the People party, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, said that Europeans should be told that the UOC is an instrument of Putin's dictatorship.

In an interview with Ukrinform, Poturaev said that freedom of religion is one of the fundamental European values. At the same time, he is sure that the authorities of the country, by banning the UOC, do not violate freedom of religion.

“What is Ukraine doing? It is doing only what these bills (on the ban of the UOC – Ed.) provide for – that religious organizations located on the territory of the aggressor and occupier state and which, in fact, are merged with the so-called dictatorship ruling in the Russian Federation, cannot have any relations with Ukrainian religious organizations.”

Poturaev clarified that in fact “Ukrainian religious organizations do not have the right to have any relationship with religious organizations originating from the aggressor state, and even more so to somehow be subordinated to such religious organizations.”

In his opinion, "such a law will provide an opportunity for the Ukrainian state and anyone – a citizen, a politician, a diplomat – to communicate absolutely calmly, convincingly and reasonably with our Western friends and partners."

“We may even answer those who ask us there, perhaps sometimes not very clear and therefore not very pleasant questions, that this is (the UOC ban – Ed.) is not about religion. This is exclusively about relations with organizations that are actually tools of Putin's dictatorship,” the MP said.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that according to Poturaev, by banning the UOC, the Ukrainian authorities are not fighting religion.

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