Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claims the EU is pressuring Armenia to sever religious ties with Moscow as a condition for EU integration, launching a smear campaign against the Russian Orthodox Church's diocese in Armenia.
Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claims the EU is trying to revoke the Armenian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church's property rights and hinder its dialogue with local religious bodies, including the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The Russian Orthodox Church has labeled the detention of Metropolitan Hilarion in the Czech Republic a "gross provocation" and a "blatant provocation" orchestrated by Russia's opponents. Igor Vyzhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's External Church Relations Department, suggested the incident was a "classic frame-up" involving planted drugs, reflecting the perceived weakness and "moral decay" of Europe.
