What Zelensky's early December 2022 moves on Russia-linked churches set in motion
A look back at the decree and the bill that put the status of religious organisations linked to Russia before Ukraine's parliament.
What did Ukraine's president do about religious organisations with links to Russia in the first days of December 2022? By 8 December 2022, two steps had been taken, both dated 2 December.
On that day, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree banning religious organisations with links to Russia and imposing personal sanctions on their representatives. He also announced that the government would draft a law banning churches affiliated with Russia. He presented such a law as necessary to counter Russian government efforts to undermine Ukraine from within.
Also on 2 December, Zelensky submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada that would formally ban any activity in Ukraine by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).
By 8 December 2022, the measure had therefore moved from an announced intention to a bill before parliament, alongside a decree that combined a ban with sanctions on individuals.
