Novynskyi: Peace in Ukraine must include freedom of faith for UOC
Te former MP and UOC protodeacon says postwar Ukraine must guarantee freedom of faith, and the Church must not be placed under blanket suspicion.
Protodeacon of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and former MP Vadym Novynskyi believes that peace in Ukraine is impossible without an end to the pressure on the UOC. He wrote this in a column for the German publication Berliner Zeitung, published on November 14, 2026.
According to the clergyman, the end of the war must also lead to peace within society. "Ukraine is a diverse country with different linguistic, cultural and religious traditions. All citizens must participate in the life of society on equal terms, regardless of native language, faith or political convictions," writes Fr. Vadym.
Separately, the protodeacon speaks about freedom of religion. "I have repeatedly drawn attention to the situation of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. I consider the restrictions on church activity and the pressure on the clergy to be serious problems," he emphasized.
Fr. Vadym noted that if specific crimes have been committed, they must be investigated in accordance with the law. "But one cannot place an entire religious community under blanket suspicion," the clergyman stated.
In the same column, the protodeacon called on Volodymyr Zelensky to resign, and on the Verkhovna Rada to create, within the framework of the Constitution, conditions for an orderly transfer of power. He cites a Gallup poll from June 2026: 66% of Ukrainians favor ending the war as soon as possible through negotiations. Fr. Vadym also recalled that in spring 2022 he took part in organizing negotiations with Russia in Belarus and Istanbul. According to him, those negotiations were "by no means hopeless".
The clergyman is currently living in Europe. In Ukraine, he has been charged with treason and is under NSDC sanctions. The protodeacon himself calls the persecution politically motivated.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to Fr. Vadym Novynskyi, anyone who claims that there is freedom of religion in Ukraine is telling a lie.
