Russia

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am here today to condemn another attack by Vladimir Putin's regime on Ukraine's religious and cultural heritage.

On June 15, Russian strikes set fire to and damaged the Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv. This cathedral is part of a monastic complex whose history stretches back over 1,000 years. Generations of worshippers have walked its grounds, prayed within its walls, and looked to it as a symbol of continuity through war, through empire, and through upheaval.

It is one of the most sacred sites in Eastern Christianity and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And right now, that same cathedral stands scarred by fire by the very regime that claims to defend the traditions and heritage of Eastern Orthodoxy.

So let's be clear what this means. This attack is part of a broader pattern of targeting Ukraine's cultural and spiritual landmarks because Putin wants to erase the identity, undermine morale, and rewrite the history of Ukraine.

This senseless attack exposes the real hypocrisy at the heart of Putin's propaganda. Putin claims that Ukraine is persecuting Russian Orthodox Christians, but that is not what happened.

In fact, it is Russia who is doing exactly what Russia falsely accuses others of doing because Russia is targeting churches, damaging sacred sites, and now has set fire to one of the holiest places in Eastern Christianity--a site that predates even the city of Moscow, a site that belongs not to one nation, but to the shared spiritual heritage of millions.

So let's set the record straight. Russia is not the victim of religious persecution in Ukraine; Russia is carrying out this persecution and so ought to be condemned.

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