President of New York Young Republicans voices support for UOC
The American political activist recorded a video address in which he spoke of pressure on the Church in Ukraine and pledged to seek its protection internationally.
On January 12, 2026, Stefano Forte, president of the New York Young Republican Club, recorded a video message in support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, saying it is being persecuted by the administration of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The address was published by UOJ USA on Telegram.
In his message, Forte spoke to the clergy and faithful of the UOC, stressing that they are not without support beyond Ukraine. “This is a very special message for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the faithful of Ukraine: stay strong. You have friends in the United States,” he said.
According to Forte, people in the United States are closely watching the actions of the Ukrainian authorities. “We are watching very very carefully what the Ukrainian government under Zelenskyy is doing to you, and the persecutions that you are you are up,” he said.
The head of the New York Young Republican Club also pointed to international assessments of what is taking place. “The United Nations has already put out a report showing religious rights abuses going on in Ukraine, and there has been widespread outrage even going back to Pope Francis who put out a statement saying that this is religious persecution,” Forte noted.
In closing, he emphasized that Orthodox Christians in America continue to pray for the UOC. “Know that we stand with you. Know that we are praying for your Metropolitan Onufriy. And know that we are praying for these persecutions to stop and we are taking action to stand with you. Know that you have an ally in the New York Republican Club. Know that we a re going down to our nation's capital to talk with all of our contacts about what we can do to save your Church. We are doing everything that we can for you. Stay strong. Thank you, guys,” he said.
The UOJ recalls that Stefano Forte previously took part in an advocacy day on Capitol Hill held in support of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which brought together around 200 Orthodox Christians from across the country.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that, in an exclusive comment to UOJ, Anna Paulina Luna promised to hold Ukrainian officials accountable who were involved in seizures of UOC churches.
