Valeriy Klochok, head of the Vezha Center for Public Analysis, described draft law 8371 as “manipulation and deception” in an interview with Gazeta.ua.

“In general, this is really a deception. Because in the bill itself there is no mention of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Russian Patriarchate. It talks about the regulation of religious organizations in Ukraine. If such an organization is suspected of being linked to an aggressor country, there will be an inspection”, – he said.

Klochok added that in the future such an inspection may end up with a report on this religious organization.

“They get a warning. It’s like a fire inspectorate that issues a prescription for violations … Then has to do the inspection again. Because they are given 30 days to eliminate these ties. The mechanism for implementing this bill is quite strange”, – the analyst said.

“The situation is such that the bill to ban the Moscow church has supposedly passed, but its implementation is quite doubtful. Even in case the law is passed, it will not solve the situation. This is all strange and looks like a big manipulation”, – Klochok said.