"Moreover, since the beginning of the war, Patriarch Kirill has repeatedly made public statements that contained de facto support for the Russian Federation’s aggressive actions against Ukraine. On March 13, 2022, during the liturgy in the Church of Christ the Savior, Patriarch Kirill presented the Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard of the Russian Federation VV Zolotov with an icon of the Mother of God and gave his blessing to the employees of this state military organization. In his speech of thanks, VV Zolotov directly said that the troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation are taking an active part in the war waged by Russia against Ukraine today. At the same time, he called the Armed Forces of Ukraine “Nazis.” After hearing Zolotov’s words, the patriarch did not object. Patriarch Kirill’s blessing of the Russian National Guard was an unequivocal endorsement of the war waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine."