Power has chosen new tactics in relation to the UOC, – political expert

Perhaps, we are on the verge of the fact that the authorities before the elections of 2019 will reconsider their strategy towards the UOC and will choose to go along the path of compromise, dialogue and cooperation with the Church. Such an opinion was expressed by Director of the Institute for Policy Analysis and Management Ruslan Bortnik, when he was commenting to the UOJ correspondent that Petro Poroshenko expressed his gratitude to His Beatitude Onufry for the help with organizing the release of prisoners.

As for the fact that the President of Ukraine later expressed his gratitude to all the "Ukrainian Churches" on his Facebook page, Ruslan Bortnik believes that such a move is conditioned by Poroshenko's desire to "avoid criticism in cooperation with the UOC."

"We see the number of critical arrows that flew to the President from the right radicals with accusations of cooperation with the Moscow Church," Bortnik said. “But the very fact of the meeting and the posting on the official website of the President of this information and photos is certainly important. And I think it is quite possible that we are on the threshold that the authorities realized that nothing can be done via formal pressure: the Church cannot be forced to ideologically serve the government. Today, the only way to preserve social stability in the country, to "stitch" the country is a productive dialogue and constructive cooperation with the Church in the direction of the release of prisoners and in the implementation of humanitarian programs."