Ukraine's Zelenskiy suggests moves towards banning Orthodox church with Moscow ties

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pledged on Saturday to "strengthen our Ukrainian spiritual independence", suggesting that the country's leadership was moving towards effectively banning the branch of the Orthodox Church that has links to Moscow.

A majority of Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians, but the faith is split into one branch with traditional links to the Russian Orthodox church and an independent church, recognised by the world Orthodox hierarchy since 2019.

Membership of the independent church loyal to the Kyiv patriarchate has swelled since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022. But the minority Moscow-linked church retains influence and Ukrainian leaders accuse it of abetting the invasion and trying to poison public opinion.

"I have just held a meeting -- a preparatory one -- regarding a decision that will strengthen our Ukrainian spiritual independence," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

"We must deprive Moscow of the last opportunities to restrict the freedom of Ukrainians. And the decisions for this must be 100% effective. We will ensure that."

Parliament last year gave initial approval to a bill that would have outlawed the activities of religious organisations affiliated with centres of influence "in a state that carries out armed aggression against Ukraine".

But an attempt last month to introduce a draft to secure final approval failed and the legislation remains in abeyance.

The minority church says that after the invasion it cut all its links with the Russian Orthodox Church, an unabashed supporter of the Kremlin's war. Ukrainian leaders dispute that contention.

Criminal proceedings, including treason charges, have been launched against dozens of their clerics. At least one cleric has been sent to Russia as part of a prisoner swap.

Some Ukrainian lawmakers have also expressed fears that the legislation could meet opposition from conservative Republicans in the United States, Ukraine's biggest Western backer, on grounds that it restricts religious freedom.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar)