A law banning Russian-affiliated church to be debated at next session,- Poroshenko

Big changes could be on the horizon for Ukraine’s religious landscape after former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said on Wednesday that the Ukrainian MPs will introduce the bill banning Russian-affiliated religious organizations for the next parliamentary session.

Known as one of the vocal proponents of the ban, Poroshenko stressed that Law 8371, will be a top priority. “We’ve pushed hard to put this law front and center,” he said. “Though Parliament took a break, we’ve now secured an agreement to get the ball rolling on this critical issue.”

The former President pointed out the irony of the situation where Ukraine asking its allies to pressure Russia while ignoring “FSB agents” operating under its nose. The bill is set to be debated on August 19, 2024.

“Our goal isn’t to slam the door on anyone’s faith,” Poroshenko clarified. “But we’re putting our foot down against Russia’s fifth column—those who betray our troops, expose patriots, volunteers, and army volunteers, and refuse to honor our fallen heroes.”

As the session approaches, all eyes will be on Parliament to see if this bill passes and what it could mean for Ukraine’s future.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.

In recent days, Moscow’s official rhetoric has been dominated by hysteria over the decision of…

In 2025, the deadliest year yet for civilians, Ukraine’s three largest charitable foundations raised a record 105.9 billion hryvnias. It is more than the years 2022–2024 combined. According to the UN, humanitarian aid in Ukraine was delivered by more than 450 organisations, reaching five million people over the course of the year. Civic foundations hold licences to purchase lethal weapons, which is a function states have monopolised for centuries. These record sums were underwritten by international government grants, which means foreign states now channel billions directly through Ukrainian civic funds, bypassing inter-state channels. It is hard to imagine a stronger institutional trust in civil society.