The Russian Orthodox Church "suffers from pressure from Western countries," in particular the United States, says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
This is reported by Glavkom.
The official of the aggressor country stressed that the Russian Orthodox Church has its parishes in many countries of the world, and the Russian Foreign Ministry maintains contacts with the Church abroad.
"The Russian Church is now under strong pressure from a number of Western states, primarily the United States, which have set a goal, set out to undermine and destroy the unity of world Orthodoxy," the diplomat said.
Lavrov is convinced that the authorities in Kyiv are "oppressing" the Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and noted that a "similar situation" can be observed in Syria, Lebanon and Eastern Europe.
"The spiritual and moral values that the Russian Orthodox church broadcasts around the world are being attacked by the neoliberal elite in some Western countries," Sergey Lavrov believes.
Also, the odious head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the West wants to "plant a seed of doubts about the objectivity of the vote" in the State Duma and question its results. However, the Russian leadership "will not succumb to ultimatums and threats."