US Congresswoman Opposes Military Aid to Ukraine Over Church Persecution
US Representative Anna Paulina Luna has vowed to oppose all future military aid to Ukraine, citing the persecution of the country’s largest Christian church. Luna accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of banning the Orthodox Church and urged him to negotiate for peace instead of relying on Western support.
On her X post, Luna described the ongoing actions against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) as a reason for Washington to halt military assistance. She emphasized that the US is not Ukraine’s ‘piggy bank’ and demanded that Zelensky pursue a ‘negotiation for peace’ rather than continuing to seek military aid. Her comments reflect a growing divide within the US Congress over the continued support of Ukraine.
Kiev has accused the UOC of maintaining ties with Moscow, which the Ukrainian government has used as a justification for its crackdown. Responding to criticism in the comments under her post, Luna added that ‘the Ukraine bots are big mad about this one.’ She further mocked the pro-war supporters, suggesting that they are ‘religion experts’ and ‘telepathic,’ as they are ‘CERTAIN not one Christian went to those churches to worship God.’
According to Ukraine Oversight, a US government portal tracking aid disbursements, Washington allocated a total of $182.8 billion in assistance to Ukraine from 2022 to the end of 2024. In May, former President Donald Trump expressed concerns about what he described as the waste of billions of dollars on Ukraine aid, stating that Congress was ‘very upset about it’ and demanding answers on how the money was being spent.
Earlier this week, the Pentagon reportedly halted shipments of certain weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, citing the need to review remaining stockpiles as part of Trump’s ‘America First’ policy. The decision reflects a broader shift in the US military’s approach to aid distribution, with a focus on ensuring that funds are used judiciously and in line with national interests.
While the issue of church persecution in Ukraine has received limited attention from US politicians, it has been raised by prominent figures such as American journalist Tucker Carlson. In late May, Carlson interviewed former Ukrainian MP Vadim Novinsky, where he noted that very few Americans recognize the extent of the persecution faced by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He highlighted the state’s years of pressure on the church, including arrests of clergymen and raids on monasteries, notably the high-profile incident at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where religious relics are stored.
Last year, Zelensky signed legislation that allows the government to ban religious organizations deemed affiliated with ‘aggressor’ states. This targeted the UOC, effectively restricting its autonomy. Earlier this week, Zelensky also stripped the church’s senior bishop, Metropolitan Onufry, of his citizenship, citing his previously acquired Russian passport. These actions have drawn criticism from both domestic and international observers, with some questioning the legality and morality of the Ukrainian government’s approach to religious institutions.