MP accuses colleagues from Servant of the People of ties with Moscow Church

Rostyslav Pavlenko, Photo: Channel 5

Rostyslav Pavlenko, European Solidarity MP, stated that the minority in the Verkhovna Rada, which supports the Moscow Patriarchate, hopes to use this connection in future elections or in negotiations with Russia. He said this on the air of the Espreso TV channel.

"The minority that supports the Moscow Patriarchate believes that ties with it will be useful to them – either for negotiations with the Russian Federation or later in elections. Unfortunately, they are currently going against the position of the majority, including even the majority of the 'Servant of the People' faction. They have even faced nationwide hatred and contempt, putting the Verkhovna Rada on pause until the end of August to do nothing about the Moscow priests," noted the deputy, whose faction blocked the work of the Rada, demanding a vote on bill 8371.

Pavlenko lamented that legal cases regarding the seizure of UOC churches are coming along slower than he would like, as UOC communities are appealing decisions of first-instance courts. However, in his opinion, there is a much shorter way to deprive the UOC of churches.

"'European Solidarity' demands that local councils make decisions to terminate lease agreements, lifelong use, and the like. But here we encounter the defense from supporters of the Moscow Patriarchate. Not only 'servants' but also various local parties say: 'This is the Church, we need to be more careful.' Therefore, we just need to push it forward. We need to constantly monitor the situation and keep this issue under control. The only thing the authorities fear is publicity. Publicity helps move the situation forward. These are precisely the paths we need to take. The adoption of this law will free many in local government bodies who are currently hesitating," the MP summarized.

As the UOJ reported, local council deputies from the European Solidarity faction are being sent letters with instructions on how to initiate extraordinary sessions in local councils to consider appeals to MPs with the demand to vote for bill No. 8371, which essentially bans the UOC.

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