OP tries to justify Zelensky for "yellow caps" toward UOC believers

Vladimir Zelensky. Photo: president.gov.ua

On June 15, 2021, the adviser to the head of the President's Office, Mikhail Podoliak, tried to justify the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, who confused the prayer stand of the UOC believers near the walls of the Verkhovna Rada with a political action by supporters of the Opposition Platform for Life Party, Interfax-Ukraina reports.

Commenting on the words of the head of state that "thousands of grandmothers in yellow OPZZh caps" came to the Verkhovna Rada, Mikhail Podoiyak advised Ukrainian politicians to stop speculating on the topic of religion.

“It's time to stop some politicians and the media from actively speculating on religion. At the very least, it will be ethical. At most, it will be professional,” M. Podoliak said.

Mr. Podoliak is sure that the media reaction to Zelensky's words is “another example of creating a different reality or an attempt to create a scandal out of the blue. In this case – on a religious subject."

“After the mass prayer service of the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in another location of the government quarter, a small ‘protest’ action of the political party OPZZh was held with a traditional set of horror stories, fakes and relaying myths of alien propaganda in their own fashion. Such promotions, among other things, are organized using the technology of the so-called 'direct purchase of participants'. At least, the participants themselves often talk about it after such actions,” Podoliak added.

The adviser to the Head of the President's Office noted that “of course, the words of the President had nothing to do with the event of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and even more so with the feelings and emotions of believers. This must be clearly and unambiguously emphasized. Not the slightest claims to the prayer service of the UOC and the categorical rejection of the staged ‘yellow caps’ of the OPZZh,” stressed Podoliak.

Recall that on June 15, 2021, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, commenting on the prayer stand of UOC believers, said that "there are grannies and children ... in yellow caps from the OPZZh near the Verkhovna Rada. According to the president, “something is wrong in the church again. And so they happened to be so much concerned by this issue that thousands of grannies came wearing yellow OPZZh caps by chance.”

In turn, the believers of the UOC launched a flash mob calling on the President of Ukraine to apologize for his words about the “yellow caps”. At the moment, Vladimir Zelensky has not responded to this request in any way.

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