Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Telegram
As part of developing a peace plan, Ukraine refers to European Union rules on issues of language and religion. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this while answering journalists’ questions.
“These are precisely issues of religion and language. Look, in this regard we are absolutely and reasonably referring to the rules of the European Union, to EU laws, because we are a future member of the EU. This is the format in which we discuss everything. And the questions you raise are discussed in exactly the same framework,” Zelenskyy said.
It is worth noting that Russia manipulates the issues of religion and language, claiming that Ukraine allegedly suppresses the “rights of the Russian-speaking population” and freedom of religion. In particular, the aggressor state has criticized the Law “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language” and the ban on the Moscow Patriarchate, which in practice functioned as a branch of the Russian Orthodox Church. The so-called “protection of the Russian-speaking population” was also used by Russia as one of the justifications for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
It should also be recalled that last year the EU commented on the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of the law banning the Moscow Patriarchate. The EU’s External Action Service spokesperson Peter Stano noted that, overall, “Ukrainian state authorities ensure respect” for the right to freedom of religion and belief.
“We are aware that Ukraine is taking legal measures against the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church due to the Moscow Patriarchate’s full support of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine. We have taken note that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law banning the activities of religious organizations linked to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine on national security grounds and to prevent foreign interference by Russia,” Stano said at the time in response to a query from DW, without going into further detail.
