The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has upheld the motion to apply 10-year personal sanctions on the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Cyril (Gundyaev) and seven other senior clerics.
The Government adopted the relevant order at its meeting on August 30, the Ministry of Culture reports.
The list is yet to be considered by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and President of Ukraine. If sanctions are approved at all levels, this will allow Ukraine’s authorities to turn to the international community with the same list in order for other countries to introduce the same restrictions.
“The Russian Orthodox Church supports Russia’s war against the Ukrainian people, every day blessing war crimes against Ukrainians. Everyone involved must be held accountable. The activities of these Russian church officials contradict Christian values. “Criminals should not hide behind the veil,” said Oleksandr Tkachenko, Minister of Culture and Information Policy.
Sanctions include: blocking of assets, suspension of asset transfers, flights and transportation throughout Ukraine, suspension of economic and financial obligations, ban on participation in privatization and lease of state property, suspension of cultural exchange and cooperation activities, cancellation of official visits, etc.
The decision was taken by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in order to protect national interests, national security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The motion with the updated sanction list was submitted by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy together with the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Politics and Freedom of Conscience.
The list includes:
- 16th Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Cyril (Vladimir Mykhailovych Gundyaev, born November 20, 1946);
- Chief of the external church relations department of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk (Grigoriy Valerievich Alfeev, born July 24, 1966);
- Deputy Head of the external church relations department of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church Archpriest Mykola Balashov (Nikolay Vladimirovich Balashov, born Dec 13, 1956);
- Metropolitan Tikhon of Pskov and Porkhov with the Russian Orthodox Church (Georgiy Aleksandrovich Shevkunov, born July 2, 1958);
- Archbishop Pitirim of Syktyvkar and Komi-Zyrya with the Russian Orthodox Church (Volochkov Pavel Pavlovich, born February 2, 1961);
- Archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church, writer, preacher, and teacher Artemiy Vladimirovich Vladimirov (born February 21, 1961);
- Mitrophoric archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church, preacher, TV presenter Andrey Yurievich Tkachev (born December 30, 1969);
- Russian Orthodox theologian, pedagogue, and publicist, Doctor of Theology, honored professor of the Moscow Orthodox Theological Academy and Seminary Aleksey Ilyich Osipov (born March 31, 1938).
Sanctions against Cyril
It should be recalled that back in March, Britain introduced sanctions against Moscow Patriarch Cyril, who supports the crimes committed by the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin. Later, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned Britain over the said restrictions on the Russian top cleric.
Canada also imposed sanctions on Cyril for justifying and supporting the Russian war on Ukraine. In the wake of the move, the Russian Orthodox Church claimed it was not guilty and that their actions did not deserve punishment. The Russian Orthodox Church called Canada’s sanctions against Moscow Patriarch Ciryl an “arbitrary” act.
Also, the National Security Council proposed to introduce sanctions against the representatives of the dioceses of the “UOC” of the Moscow Patriarchate in Crimea.
On May 31, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine slammed the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Cyril (Gundyaev) and other figures of the Russian Orthodox Church with sanctions.
Previously, Lithuania sought to include Cyril Gundyaev in the EU sanctions list, but due to Hungary’s position, sanctions were never imposed. However, Lithuania banned Patriarch Cyril from entering the country. Later, the Russian Orthodox Church thanked Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán for saving Cyril from sanctions. Orban himself said in May that he would not support sanctions against Patriarch Cyril of the Russian Orthodox Church, and again opposed the Russian oil embargo.
The ROC says that no sanctions against Patriarch Cyril (Gundyaev) will force him to abandon his views, therefore “making no sense.”
At the end of June, the High Representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, expressed his regret that the European Union countries were unable to approve sanctions against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
