Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) during his address at the 23rd annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
Despite assurances made on several occasions in recent years following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both by hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and by Metropolitan Onufriy himself, regarding the UOC’s independence and the severing of its ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, both the Moscow Patriarchate and, apparently, the Russian President continue to regard the UOC as part of the Russian Orthodox Church.
During his address, the Russian President indirectly referred to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), headed by Metropolitan Onufriy, accusing the international community of remaining silent in the face of what he described as the “persecution of clergy and believers in Ukraine.”
“The international community remains silent, while terrible things are happening to the Church there: priests are being killed, people are being expelled from churches, and churches are being seized. There is silence, as though nothing were happening,” he stated.
Vladimir Putin went on to accuse Ukraine’s Western supporters, particularly European countries, of exploiting religious disputes to further distance Ukraine from Russia.
According to the Russian President, these developments are being used to achieve the “complete separation of both Ukrainian territories and their populations from Russia, while creating conditions that would make peaceful coexistence between the two countries impossible in the future.”
It is worth recalling that approximately one year ago, Metropolitan Onufriy, in a letter to Ukraine’s State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), declined to respond positively to five demands addressed to the UOC as part of the implementation of Law No. 3894, which prohibits the activities of religious organizations affiliated with Russia.
Photo: kremlin.ru
