Bill on "Russia’s war on faith" in Ukraine introduced in US Congress

An illustrative image of the US Congress and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Photo: open sources

On April 23, 2026, a bipartisan bill "Countering Russia’s War on Faith Act," was introduced in the US Congress, which, according to its authors, is aimed at combating the persecution of religious communities in Ukraine and in occupied territories, reports the UOJ in the USA.

The document was initiated by American congressmen who place responsibility for violations of religious freedom on Russia. The bill is supported by representatives of both parties, and its counterpart has also been introduced in the Senate.

"Russia perversely portrays Ukraine as a persecutor of Christians, when it is Moscow that has destroyed over 600 churches, synagogues, mosques, and places of worship in Ukraine throughout this war," the press release from Rep. Wilson's office quotes Rep. Kaptur as saying. The document's authors also claim that Russia's actions constitute a "planned and systematic attack on freedom of religion" and are aimed at suppressing religious life.

However, the bill does not mention the Ukrainian Orthodox Church at all, although it has suffered more than other denominations. This concerns not only hundreds of destroyed and damaged churches, but also numerous cases of church seizures, eviction of communities, pressure on clergy and believers. In many regions, conflicts around churches, parish transfers under pressure, and restrictions on religious activities were recorded, but all these facts are not reflected in the document. It is noteworthy that some authors of the initiative previously criticized the UOC and believers who reported such pressure from Ukrainian authorities.

The bill provides for the preparation of joint reports by the State Department and the Pentagon on violations of religious freedom, as well as the introduction of sanctions against persons found to be involved in such actions.

The text also emphasizes that "believers in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are targeted with particular ferocity," and calls to "counter Russia's war on faith."

Previously, international organizations have drawn attention to the situation with believers' rights in Ukraine, including reports of pressure on UOC communities.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Orthodox Americans responded to archons' accusations of working for Putin.

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