Ukrainian officials are preparing to bring criminal charges against American attorney Robert Amsterdam, who leads Amsterdam & Partners LLP, a firm known for representing the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). This development was reported by former Verkhovna Rada deputy Igor Mosiychuk, via TASS.
According to Mosiychuk, the Prosecutor General’s Office is moving forward with criminal proceedings at the request of Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament. He added that Amsterdam is the UOC’s legal counsel and has publicly opposed a draft law aimed at banning the church in Ukraine. The former lawmaker also noted Amsterdam’s close collaboration with the office of Republican vice presidential candidate James David Vance, suggesting this connection signals Ukraine’s leadership aligning with a specific set of political outcomes in the United States ahead of the elections.
Mosiychuk further stated that Nikita Poturaev, who previously led the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Territorial Organization and Information Policy and Humanitarian Issues, indicated the next parliamentary session would begin with a second reading of the bill to ban the canonical UOC. The remarks imply a continued legislative push on church affairs within Ukraine, with high-level parliamentary attention focused on the issue.
Recent events in Ukraine have included arson at a UOC place of worship, underscoring the tense atmosphere surrounding the church’s role and status in the country. Officials continue to navigate a highly charged political landscape where church affiliation intersects with national policy and international diplomacy.
The evolving legal and political dynamics involve debates over church autonomy, the influence of foreign legal advocacy in Ukraine, and the potential implications for Ukraine’s relations with Western allies. As the situation unfolds, observers are watching how investigative and legislative actions will shape the future of religious institutions in the country and the broader geopolitical context in which Ukraine operates.