Pavlenko: Ukrainian govt must explain benefits of banning UOC to Republicans

Rostyslav Pavlenko. Photo: European Solidarity

MP from the European Solidarity faction Rostyslav Pavlenko commented on the criticism by David Vance, the U.S. Vice Presidential candidate selected by Donald Trump, regarding the law banning the UOC. According to Pavlenko, the Ukrainian authorities should explain the benefits of adopting draft law No. 8371 to U.S. Republicans.

"Look, the authorities need to focus on clarifying the main positions of national security policy, so that no one under the influence of lobbyists, or information noise, or any lies has incorrect perceptions," Pavlenko said.

The MP claims that the bill does not ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Instead, it bans the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has been condemned by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

"It is about banning activities. Regarding affiliation, there are clear criteria that provide a clear procedure for state response, and the decision is made by the court. Therefore, instead of referring to what someone said or wrote, the state should make every effort to clarify the truth and debunk lies," the Poroshenko party MP explained.

As reported by UOJ, the head of the U.S. State Department received a letter with the names of MPs initiating the ban on the UOC.

Read also