I believe we all remember the early morning of February 24 when Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine. Our national holiday became a tragic date for Ukraine and its people, bringing destruction in Ukraine and plenty of worry and fear all over Europe. In the two years since, Vladimir Putin's regime has put all of Russia on the warpath, not even balking at taking advantage of the Orthodox church.

Russia has occupied a large part of Ukraine, killed tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, including thousands of children. No one knows the total number of victims, but we do know that it keeps mounting every day.

Russia has also deported to its territory over 20,000 Ukrainian children that we know of, just 300 of whom have been returned, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during a recent visit to Estonia. This means that every day Russia's war continues, tens of thousands of children are forced to live away from their families and homeland, suffering the mental and physical terror of Putin's regime.

Ukraine needs comprehensive support from Europe and the U.S. in its fight against an overwhelming enemy. Next to economic and military support, we must be clear in our public messages and efforts to fight Kremlin propaganda.

Unfortunately, we can see the Russian regime using all manner of media and propaganda channels to justify its war, which includes heads of churches. While this kind of misuse of religion is inadmissible, Putin has been using the Orthodox church as a soft power tool for decades, both domestically and abroad.

That is why it is in equal parts tragic and anticipated that the Moscow Patriarchate, headed by Patriarch Kirill, has become an ever-stauncher supporter of the regime's war of conquest. We know that Kirill used to work with the KGB and would be naive to think those ties have by now disappeared.

Recently, the World Russian People's Council, also headed by Kirill, went a step further when it said that Ukraine's territory needs to be incorporated into Russia's and described the invasion as a holy war. So-called soft power has become a direct tool for justifying war and killing.

Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets' proposal to declare the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church an organization that supports terrorism is entirely understandable in this context. Patriarch Kirill's actions in inciting war leave us with no other choice.

However, this does not amount to limiting anyone's religious freedom, but rather constitutes taking a firm stand on the patriarchate in Moscow. Russian Orthodox congregations in Estonia would have to move to the jurisdiction of the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople under the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church or continue as independent congregations. Therefore, the religious freedom of all congregations and Orthodox faithful would continue to be guaranteed in Estonia.

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing," Edmund Burke has said. Estonia has not chosen the path of doing nothing regarding Russia's war of aggression, but has set an example of action and courage for larger countries.

Patriarch Kirill has long since stopped defending Christian values and is instead inciting war and the killing of innocents. Estonia has a moral obligation to react to his actions and speak the truth out loud.

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