October 18, 2024 | The Telegraph
Don’t believe Putin’s lies: Ukraine is not ‘persecuting’ Christians
Conservatives should not be fooled: Putin’s weaponisation of the Orthodox Church is part of his geopolitical strategy
October 18, 2024 | The Telegraph
Don’t believe Putin’s lies: Ukraine is not ‘persecuting’ Christians
Conservatives should not be fooled: Putin’s weaponisation of the Orthodox Church is part of his geopolitical strategy
Excerpt
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church has fully supported Putin’s imperial ambitions.
As a result, Ukraine took a bold, yet necessary, step of banning churches linked to Moscow to safeguard national sovereignty amidst the war with Russia – a move that is being celebrated across Ukraine.
This decision has provoked controversy among conservatives in the West who have been quick to accuse Kyiv of attacking religious freedom.
Ivana Stradner is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.