The Macedonian Orthodox Church has not recognized the Orthodox Church of Ukraine because of Russian influence.
This opinion was expressed in a comment to Ukrinform by Xhabir Deralla, a Macedonian civic activist, journalist, and co-founder of the NGO CIVIL Today (Center for Civil Freedom in Skopje).
"As I mentioned the church is a very strong channel of direct Russian influence. We are investigating this for a number of years, and we have a lot of evidence to claim that the Macedonian Church is under heavy influence of the Russian Church," Deralla said.
As an example of that influence, Deralla pointed to the Macedonian Orthodox Church's refusal to recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
The journalist also highlighted the active role of the Russian Embassy in North Macedonia, noting that it organizes events almost daily.
