Vladislav Grigoriev8:08 PM, November 18, 2025

Lobbyists and clergy traveled to the White House, where they met with representatives of the White House Office of Faith-Based Affairs.

Lobbyists and clergy associated with the Russian Orthodox Church ( ROC ) are campaigning at the Capitol this week and meeting with representatives of the Donald Trump administration, The Hill reports .

A White House spokesperson told reporters that a delegation of Russian Orthodox Church supporters is already meeting with representatives of the White House Office of Faith-Based Affairs. They also have meetings scheduled at the US State Department.

“The Office of Faith Affairs meets regularly with advocacy groups and religious leaders at their request to discuss issues related to faith in our country and around the world,” a White House official said.

The publication shared that the delegation includes representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), which cooperates with the ROC, the Orthodox Church in America, and the Serbian Orthodox Church. The latter is represented by a priest who met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow in April of this year.

The publication noted that the delegation would attempt to draw the attention of American officials to “Kyiv’s religious persecution of Orthodox Christians.” The journalists also recalled that Ukrainian officials, Western analysts, and pro-Ukrainian members of Congress have repeatedly stated that the Kremlin is using the Russian Orthodox Church, both domestically and abroad, as a key ideological tool in its war against Ukraine.

The publication also added that some Republicans in the House of Representatives are asking US Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate whether Russia or its intelligence agencies have attempted to recruit, exploit, influence, or compromise Orthodox churches in the US.

“It has come to my attention that the ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) is actively seeking to expand its political influence in the United States, including through an event reportedly planned for November 18, 2025, aimed at lobbying members of Congress and their staff,” reads a draft letter addressed to Bondi and initiated by Congressman Joe Wilson.

Wilson said he suspects that the ROCOR or other Russian Orthodox jurisdictions may serve as tools for intelligence gathering or foreign influence operations targeting American politicians.Read also:

The publication recalled that in 2024, the Verkhovna Rada adopted bill No. 8371 banning the activities of religious organizations associated with Moscow in Ukraine. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, law enforcement officials have opened proceedings against a number of priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The Kyiv Metropolitanate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been recognized as being affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church – what is known?

As a reminder, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolicy and Freedom of Conscience previously reported that the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) was recognized as affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), whose activities are banned in Ukraine.

It is noted that the investigation revealed signs of affiliation between the UOC Metropolitanate and the Russian Orthodox Church, which constitutes a violation of the Law of Ukraine “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations.” The State Statistical Service (SSS) sent the Metropolitanate an order to rectify this violation. However, the agency reports that the head of the UOC-MP, Metropolitan Onufriy, has refused to comply with the order.

(c)UNIAN 2025