Pavlo Sadokha: Ukrainians abroad are targets of Russian propaganda

Russian propaganda is actively working to influence Ukrainian refugees abroad, said Pavlo Sadokha, Vice-President of the Ukrainian World Congress and President of the Union of Ukrainians in Portugal, in an interview with My Ukrayina (“We are Ukraine”).

“It is important to make efforts in the fight against the ‘Russkiy Mir,’ which began acting very intensively right after Ukrainian refugees started arriving in European countries. This includes efforts by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to persuade both children and adults to cooperate, especially those from Eastern Ukraine,” Sadokha stated.

The Ukrainian community in Portugal is actively resisting Russian influence. “For example, in Portugal, we previously filed a complaint detailing the activities of Russian organizations spreading Kremlin propaganda and collaborating with other pro-Kremlin groups. The matter even reached the Portuguese Parliament, and, in effect, Portugal has now stopped cooperating with these organizations,” explained the UWC Vice President.

Sadokha believes that Ukraine, as a state, needs to establish its own system abroad. “If we compare the institutional activities of Russian propaganda, particularly through the ‘Russkiy Mir’ Foundation, ‘Rossotrudnichestvo,’ or the Russian Orthodox Church, Ukraine is losing in this regard. We need more informational support to speak more about Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora,” he added.

The recent decision by the Ukrainian government to ban religious organizations affiliated with Russia on Ukrainian territory is an example of such steps, Sadokha mentioned.

“This will greatly help disconnect Ukrainians from the influence of Russian propaganda. For us, Ukrainians, who are consistently fighting against Russian propaganda, it also aids in explaining the nature of this propaganda and its negative consequences not only for Ukrainians but also for Europe itself,” Sadokha concluded.

Earlier, the Union of Ukrainians in Portugal won a court case initiated by Russian propagandists – a branch of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Albufeira.