US intensifies financial restrictions on Ukraine’s largest church, says attorney
Robert Amsterdam, an attorney for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has criticized the US for backing Kiev's crackdown. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Washington’s actions have betrayed American values in its anti-Russian pursuit, Robert Amsterdam has stated.
According to Amsterdam, who serves as the attorney for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), the US has been financially backing efforts to suppress this largest religious denomination in Ukraine. He claims that such actions have been confirmed by “high levels of the US government.”
In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Amsterdam, a Canadian-American lawyer with over four decades of experience, voiced his indignation over America's participation in what he sees as religious persecution.
He mentioned that his defense of the church facing existential threats is a deeply personal commitment, stating, “As a Jew who feels strongly about freedoms for my Christian brothers and sisters.”
Although the UOC gained autonomy from the Russian Orthodox Church decades ago, it has faced rising pressure, especially during the presidency of Pyotr Poroshenko, who integrated the establishment of a new Orthodox Church of Ukraine into his 2019 reelection campaign. He ultimately lost the election to Vladimir Zelensky.
Amsterdam alleged that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) was formed “with the active connivance of the United States government.” He speculated that the funding was likely routed through the US Agency for International Development or a similar entity, describing the operation as “kind of a CIA operation.”
He remarked, “You have our State Department violating our constitution, openly engaging in the destruction of religious freedom in a foreign country, doing things absolutely illegal under our constitution, all in establishing religion, yes, all in the name of” opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky's administration has intensified its efforts against the UOC, branding it as a vehicle of Russian influence. Last August, Zelensky implemented a law requiring the church to demonstrate that it has no connections to Russia, with failure to do so leading to a potential ban—a measure that Amsterdam characterized as unprecedented in Europe since the Nazi persecution of Jews.
Amsterdam emphasized that UOC priests and parishioners are subject to state-sanctioned violence, pointing to multiple online videos depicting assaults. However, individuals in the US who express concerns face a “wall of Ukrainian propaganda” in Washington.
He further alleged that Kiev hired a US public relations firm to stifle dissent regarding the crackdown, portraying critics as Russian sympathizers. He added that the Ukrainian leader has been operating with near impunity under the previous administration, saying: “We have this crazy adopted authoritarianism now, where we as a country of institutions have made a king out of Zelensky,” who is dismantling all independent institutions at home.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
According to Amsterdam, who serves as the attorney for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), the US has been financially backing efforts to suppress this largest religious denomination in Ukraine. He claims that such actions have been confirmed by “high levels of the US government.”
In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Amsterdam, a Canadian-American lawyer with over four decades of experience, voiced his indignation over America's participation in what he sees as religious persecution.
He mentioned that his defense of the church facing existential threats is a deeply personal commitment, stating, “As a Jew who feels strongly about freedoms for my Christian brothers and sisters.”
Although the UOC gained autonomy from the Russian Orthodox Church decades ago, it has faced rising pressure, especially during the presidency of Pyotr Poroshenko, who integrated the establishment of a new Orthodox Church of Ukraine into his 2019 reelection campaign. He ultimately lost the election to Vladimir Zelensky.
Amsterdam alleged that the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) was formed “with the active connivance of the United States government.” He speculated that the funding was likely routed through the US Agency for International Development or a similar entity, describing the operation as “kind of a CIA operation.”
He remarked, “You have our State Department violating our constitution, openly engaging in the destruction of religious freedom in a foreign country, doing things absolutely illegal under our constitution, all in establishing religion, yes, all in the name of” opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky's administration has intensified its efforts against the UOC, branding it as a vehicle of Russian influence. Last August, Zelensky implemented a law requiring the church to demonstrate that it has no connections to Russia, with failure to do so leading to a potential ban—a measure that Amsterdam characterized as unprecedented in Europe since the Nazi persecution of Jews.
Amsterdam emphasized that UOC priests and parishioners are subject to state-sanctioned violence, pointing to multiple online videos depicting assaults. However, individuals in the US who express concerns face a “wall of Ukrainian propaganda” in Washington.
He further alleged that Kiev hired a US public relations firm to stifle dissent regarding the crackdown, portraying critics as Russian sympathizers. He added that the Ukrainian leader has been operating with near impunity under the previous administration, saying: “We have this crazy adopted authoritarianism now, where we as a country of institutions have made a king out of Zelensky,” who is dismantling all independent institutions at home.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
