Ukrainian philosopher: UOC cannot be accused of 'Kremlin narratives'

Andrii Baumeister, Doctor of Philosophy, and Professor of the Department of Theoretical and Practical Philosophy at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, believes that the UOC cannot be accused of "Moscow narratives".

The philosopher published a video on his YouTube channel in which he stated that accusing someone of "Moscow narratives" is an irrational and unconvincing argument.

Discussing the context of government pressure on the UOC, Andrii Baumeister said, "Accusations of incorrect narratives, of some hostile things, of the inadequacy of hierarchs and the legal insolvency of claims to certain church properties – all of this is not a convincing principle."

"Ukraine should become a free European state. In this state, citizens should have the freedom to choose any confession. This freedom should not be imposed based on certain principles because accusations of 'Kremlin narratives' are neither rational nor legal nor political arguments."

In his opinion, "Kremlin narrative" is a vague term, under which "anything" can fall, making it a very convenient move to discredit the source and "accuse opponents of anything".

Andrii Baumeister pointed out that the majority of Ukrainian politicians and all presidents have met with UOC hierarchs, especially the current President. Therefore, accusations of "hostile narratives" do not withstand rational criticism because almost anything can be categorized under this argument.

As reported, Alexei Arestovich, an advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine, referred to the repression against the UOC as "a primitive political technology of division".