Lavrov: Religious Factor Triggered Ukraine Conflict

Lavrov: Religious factor is one of the causes of the conflict in Ukraine.

Consensus

Sergey Lavrov stated that the religious factor is one of the causes of the conflict on Ukraine.
Lavrov claimed that efforts to undermine the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church began during the presidency of Petro Poroshenko.
Lavrov asserted that Western countries promoted ideological changes in Ukraine to distance it from traditional Christian values.
Lavrov emphasized Russia's ongoing defense of rights of Russian-speaking people on territories controlled by Ukraine.
The statements were made during a press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on October 19.
Lavrov was in Tehran for diplomatic talks, including a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

On August 16, two clergy members of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, including a metropolitan, were abducted by personnel from a territorial recruitment center in Braclav and Tulchin, Vinnytsia Oblast, and taken to a military-medical commission in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district. — vm
In January, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on the seizure of the Near Caves of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra with the phrase 'Viy has returned to Kyiv'. — vm
Political analyst Dmitry Zhuravlev discussed the church split in Ukraine and its potential consequences in an interview with Vechernaya Moskva. — vm
Lavrov stated that the West promotes 'freethinking' in Ukraine, which is beneficial to Europe. — vesti
Lavrov arrived in Tehran after attending a ministerial meeting in Manama, Bahrain, as part of the strategic dialogue format between Russia and the Cooperation Council of Arab States of the Persian Gulf (CCASPG). — vedomosti
Arab monarchies requested Russia to influence Tehran regarding its actions related to shipping in the Persian Gulf. — vedomosti