The head of the international human rights company Amsterdam & Partners LLP, Robert Amsterdam, who represents the legal interests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has published a statement criticizing the Ukrainian government’s decision to spend 3.5m dollars to promote the bill No 8371 aimed at banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The human rights activist believes that spending such sums on PR and lobbying, while Ukraine is in dire need of any assistance, is an insult to all Ukrainians, especially those who serve in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. About this he wrote on his page in the social network X.
“As someone who strongly supports providing aid to Ukraine, it is incomprehensible to me why exactly now, when Congress is considering providing additional financial support to Ukraine, the Ukrainian leadership is irresponsibly spending millions of dollars in the American capital to cover up its worst abuses, especially when this money is so badly needed on the front lines. Wouldn’t it be much cheaper to simply stop the attacks on the Church in Ukraine? Every penny of this money should be directed to the defense of Ukraine”, – Amsterdam wrote.
In addition, the lawyer drew attention to the absurdity of this situation, because the funds that the Ukrainian authorities are spending in the United States on the PR of the bill #8371 on the ban of the UOC, they received thanks to American taxpayers.
“It is reckless and irresponsible for the Ukrainian government to continue the targeted persecution of Christians and try to cover it up with millions of dollars. They are taking U.S. taxpayer money and sending it back to Washington to justify their own irresponsible behavior. Such moves, at the very time when men and women on the front lines are short of ammunition, is a stark illustration of their false priorities. Thus, the parliamentarians in Kiev, who know that the ban of the Church is illegal, are trying to cover up their actions and continue to act irresponsibly, avoiding international punishment for their atrocities”, – summarized Robert Amsterdam.
We shall remind you that earlier it became known that the Ukrainian government, using the services of non-governmental organizations, concluded expensive contracts with US lobbying firms to support draft law No. 8371 aimed at banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
