On February 4, 2023, People’s Deputy Mykola Kniazhitsky said on the air of the Espresso channel that the government bill to ban the UOC is weak.

“The UOC (MP) is an organization that harms national security. We have a government bill – it is so weak that it will be virtually impossible to restrict the activities of the so-called branches of the Russian Orthodox Church with its help, and it will take years, ”he stressed.

According to Knyazhitsky, someone “does not want to stop the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church because of some goals.”

“I think they themselves – they always had huge funds behind them. Half of the Party of Regions went there and financed them. Sanctions have been imposed on some of these people, but not on all. Their influence in state structures is extremely high. If our bill 8221 is adopted, the UOC (MP) will not be able to exist in unity with the Russian Church. It will be able to exist as an independent church. The state cannot recognize that it is Orthodox, because we have a single Orthodox Church. They will be able to exist as a religious association that has no ties with the ROC. If you take the government’s bill, it will not stop their activities. It will be appealed to European courts, it will simulate the fight against them for the next few years, and at that time they will continue to exist, ”said the people’s deputy.