Russia Makes UOC Protections a Condition for Ukraine Settlement as New Parish Transfer Reported

Overview

• Russia’s Foreign Ministry said ending alleged persecutions of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, including scrapping the 2024 law, is a key requirement for a durable settlement.
• Officials also cited protecting the rights of Russian and Russian‑speaking populations as part of the conditions laid out to Izvestia.
• Ukraine’s parliament adopted and President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the August 2024 law creating a legal pathway to restrict or ban the UOC, RIA and TASS report.
• The Union of Orthodox Journalists reported Khmelnytskyi regional authorities re‑registered the Kuzmin parish into the OCU, alleging officials relied on falsified documents and noting parishioner opposition.
• The Khmelnytskyi UOC eparchy called the potential re‑registration illegal, and prior reporting notes Zelensky revoked Metropolitan Onufriy’s Ukrainian citizenship on July 2, 2025.