Меседж Ukraine supposedly should not ban the activities of the UOC-MP
Propagandists are actively spreading manipulative statements about the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) and bill No. 8371, which aims to ban it. They once again claim that the Verkhovna Rada is trying to completely limit the religious freedom of Ukrainians in this way. They say that foreign human rights activists and politicians, in particular the team of US presidential candidate Donald Trump, are paying attention to this. And the politicians defending the bill don’t know what they’re talking about. In this case, propagandists refer to the situation when People's Deputy and ex-President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko called Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson Michael Jackson.
Propagandists also appeal to the fact that the UOC-MP was forced to hire the law firm Amsterdam & Partners LLP and lobbyist William Bjork-White to protect its interests in Washington, but they are silent about the ideological nuances of this decision, which Ukrainian investigators have revealed. Amsterdam & Partners is actively involved in political lobbying and often takes on controversial cases. In addition to the UOC-MP, the company officially represents the interests of sanctioned businessman Vadym Novynskyi. The company says Ukraine illegally confiscated Novynskyi's assets and is groundlessly persecuting him for his religious beliefs. It was the actions of this company that could contribute to further rhetoric from conservative circles in the United States regarding the application of the “Mahnitskyi’s Law” against the initiators of the ban on the UOC-MP. This law provides for personal sanctions against individuals who violate human rights, but its application is possible only by decision of the US administration.
In fact, the above-mentioned bill is aimed at preventing the use of religious organizations in the interests of the aggressor country and protecting national security, and not at restricting religious freedom. The purpose of spreading such messages is to destabilize the internal situation in Ukraine, split society along religious lines and undermine trust in the government. Propagandists seek to discredit the Ukrainian authorities, present it as undemocratic and repressive, and also create a negative image of Ukraine in the international arena, weakening support from Western countries. This is all aimed at undermining the sovereignty of Ukraine.