Association "Svoboda" Demands that President Viktor Yanukovych Declare Patriarch Kirill Persona Non Grata

The all-Ukrainian association Svoboda demands that President Viktor Yanukovych declare Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church persona non grata in Ukraine. Svoboda organized a picket on July 14 near the building of the presidential administration with the mentioned demand.

According to TSN, the activists of Svoboda came to the action of protest with banners saying "Moscow colonizer priest out," "For one local church centered in Kyiv," "Kirill is patriarch according to Stalin KGB canon," etc.

"As the visits of a citizen of Russian Federation, Vladimir Gundiaiev ("Patriarch Kirill"), stir up national and religious hatred, offend millions of Ukrainians, humiliate the honor and dignity of Ukraine, we demand that measures be taken to prevent the mentioned foreigner from violating the Constitution and laws of Ukraine and that in the event of violation of the Ukrainian law by Vladimir Gundiaiev, the undesired ‘guest’ be declared persona non grata and be expelled from the country," stresses the address of Svoboda to Yanukovych.

According to the activists, "He uses his visits to promote the political concept of the ‘Russian World’ which was developed by him and is hostile to the Ukrainian statehood and in which there is no room for independent Ukraine. To strengthen their control over Ukraine, Moscow strategists promote the idea of establishing in Kyiv of a permanent ‘patriarchal residence,’ granting Patriarch Kirill Ukrainian citizenship and proclaiming him ‘Patriarch of Moscow, Kyiv and all Rus.’"