Russia has right to defend loyal Orthodox faithful in Ukraine, Putin says

The Russian government reserves the right to defend
the religious rights of the citizens of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said
on Jan. 31, referring to the millions of faithful of the Russian Orthodox
Church in Ukraine (who still refer to themselves as the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church-Moscow Patriarchate). “We have respected and will respect the
independence of church life, moreover in the neighboring sovereign country,” he
said, referring to Ukraine, at an enthronement ceremony in Moscow.
“Nonetheless, we reserve the right to react and do everything for the defense
of human rights, including religious freedom.” In creating the Orthodox Church
of Ukraine with the involvement of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople,
the Poroshenko administration interfered with Ukraine’s religious life, Putin
said, adding that such actions are “absolutely unacceptable” in Russia.

Zenon Zawada: If Russia expands its hybrid war against Ukraine – which we expect will
happen, with more than 50% likelihood in the next three months – Putin will
certainly use the pretext that he is responsible for defending ethnic Russians,
Russophiles and Russian-speaking Ukrainians against persecution for their
cultural, linguistic and religious convictions, including their allegiance to
Russian Orthodoxy. More Western authorities are considering Russian claims
about alleged persecution of Russians and Russian-speakers in Ukraine, with
such a report being presented to the OSCE in September. Populist-nationalist
parties, which stand to make gains in the May elections to the European
Parliament, accept them wholly (being aligned with the Kremlin).