OCU priest Georgy Kovalenko, in an exclusive interview with TSN.ua, stated that “representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate and its structure should not remain in the Lavra. Just as Russian business, or pro-Russian political structures, or Russian media cannot work in Ukraine. After all, during the war it is absolutely impossible.”

“The monks came to the Lavra to pray to God. I think that they now have a choice between the Lavra and the Moscow Patriarchate. I have heard the minister’s statements where he says that the state is not going to stop praying in the Lavra or expel the monks. If the monks separate from the Moscow Patriarchate, at least the representative of the monks will not be a person who is under sanctions,” Kovalenko said.

He added that Metropolitan Pavel, while under sanctions, cannot lead the Lavra, “possess or use historical monuments and state property. This is one of the conditions of the sanctions, that this is impossible.”

According to the representative of the OCU, if the monks somehow offer a different format of relations, if Ukraine is sure that the Lavra is not “the residence of intelligence officers of the Russian special services or people who preach not the Gospel, but the “Russian world”, then I think that such people can stay. What format it will be depends primarily on them. I think this is very important to understand in a democratic constitutional state. There are state requirements, people must fulfill these requirements,” he said.

Kovalenko emphasized that “people who violated agreements on the use of monuments should be held accountable. But prayer in the Lavra must continue.”