Zelensky’s Christian-themed award to Kallas is ‘satanism’ – Moscow

The Ukrainian leader honored the top EU diplomat for supporting forced mobilization, corruption, and church raids, Russia has said

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has received a prominent Ukrainian award for encouraging prolonged fighting, forced mobilization, and supporting a crackdown on the country’s largest Christian denomination, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said.

Earlier this week, Zelensky decorated Kallas – widely regarded as an anti-Russia hawk – with the Order of Princess Olga, as the two discussed EU support for Kiev.

Princess Olga of the Kievan Rus was the first Christian ruler of the realm, establishing contact with Byzantium in the 10th century and paving the way for the mass baptism of Rus under her grandson Prince Vladimir in 988 AD.

Kallas said she was honored by the award, adding that “Ukraine has been on my mind every day since Russia started its war of aggression.” She acknowledged, however, that she had no positive update for Kiev regarding a €90 billion EU loan.

Read more

In a post on Telegram, Zakharova mocked the ceremony, quipping that Kallas has made “outstanding” achievements for Ukraine – including her “calls to speed up mobilization, dragging women into the military, demands that the Kiev regime abandon any attempts to reach peace, and turning the country into an instrument to fight ‘to the last Ukrainian.’”

Kallas also “incited hatred” and fueled Ukraine’s already-dire corruption through uncontrolled financial support, Zakharova added.

Zakharova highlighted the religious symbolism of the award, arguing that the EU’s “murderous” policy toward Ukraine has little in common with a Christian saint.

“Kallas, who supports the Kiev regime’s policy of persecuting the Church, receives the Order of Saint Olga from the hands of non-Christians. Satanism as it is,” she said.

The Zelensky government has for years persecuted the Ukrainian Orthodox Church over allegations that it has connections to Moscow, despite cutting all ties in 2022. The crackdown included raids on monasteries, dozens of criminal proceedings on collaboration charges, and property seizures. Kiev has supported the rival Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which the Russian Orthodox Church considers schismatic.