During the event, an updated version of the report of the Russian Foreign Ministry "On the illegal actions of the Kyiv regime in relation to the UOC, its clergy and parishioners" was presented.
During the briefing, the correspondent of The Moscow Post asked his questions.
Our first question was: How do you assess the situation of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which decided to change its name, as well as the situation with Orthodoxy in general in the Baltic countries?
We assess the current situation unambiguously negatively. Orthodox autocephalous churches in the Baltic countries face outright persecution and persecution. Most likely, this is due to the use of the Ukrainian precedent, when, following the example of Kyiv, the authorities of these countries seek to oust Orthodoxy from religious public life.
Now resonant events are unfolding in Estonia, where the name of the Estonian Orthodox Church has changed - now it is called the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church. This is done in accordance with the decree of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Estonia, the purpose of which is to completely eliminate any mention of the Russian Orthodox Church and Russia.
It is important to note that the previous strong connection that existed earlier is no longer there, Gennady Iosifovich emphasized.
"This church has always been in its own right and its status remains unchanged. However, the intervention of the Estonian authorities in its activities, as well as the situation in other Baltic countries, is nothing more than state arbitrariness, "the ambassador said.
Such actions constitute direct state interference in the religious sphere, which contradicts international legal norms. Even human rights activists admit that this violates freedom of religion, although their reaction remains rather restrained. For them, this issue is not a priority, and they are rather watching further developments.
"We condemn such measures and urge the Estonian authorities to act reasonably, observing international legal norms," he concluded.
The second question swayed the number of priests who left Ukraine. And he sounded like this: How many priests of the OPC left Ukraine and moved to Russia after the start of the special operation? How is their further fate in Russia or in other CIS countries?
Priests who continue their ministry in Ukraine consider it their duty to stay in the country during this difficult period. They provide support to parishioners, help them cope with difficult circumstances.
Both clergymen and ordinary believers are persecuted and persecuted just because they want to pray in their temples and practice their faith. Despite this, most priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church remain in place and continue to fight for the rights of their canonical church.
He confirmed that some of them moved to Russia, but this is not a massive trend.
"In general, the clergy and hierarchs of the UOC continue to remain in Ukraine, defending their right to freedom of religion," Askaldovich said.
Our third question was: Last October, you stated that the main responsibility for the religious schism in Ukraine lies with the United States. Can we expect changes in this area under the new administration of Donald Trump?
"I just wanted to touch on this issue, even if it had not sounded. This is a really important topic, "the ambassador emphasized.
He noted that everyone knows what attitude the previous US administration showed towards the church. For them, religious issues were not a priority. Their main focus was on promoting non-traditional values while church issues remained in secondary roles.
As for the Trump administration, the situation here may be different, added Gennady Askaldovich.
"Already now we hear the statements of his high-ranking representatives that it is unacceptable to ban entire church denominations. These words sounded from officials holding important posts in the new administration, and Trump himself also spoke on this topic, "he said.
He is a religious person, an adherent of traditional values. Therefore, it can be assumed that he will not ignore what is happening in Ukraine, including the facts of pressure on religious communities and church institutions.
Askaldovich stressed that it is important to understand that pre-election statements and real steps after coming to power are two different things. When the responsibility for running the country falls on the shoulders, priorities can change.
At the moment, it can be noted that the Kyiv authorities are noticeably wary. They took a wait-and-see attitude, trying to figure out how the new American administration would operate. Most likely, they will try to act more carefully and avoid the radical measures that were previously applied.
"Nevertheless, Ukraine remains a zone of instability, and it is difficult to predict further developments. However, in my opinion, the Ukrainian authorities will now make decisions with an eye to the position of the new US administration, "concluded Gennady Iosifovich.