[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3027-S3028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 RUSSIA

  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

[[Page S3028]]

out this persecution and so ought to be condemned.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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