The Kremlin on Monday accused Ukraine's politicians of using the creation of a new Ukrainian Orthodox church independent of Moscow for political ends.
Ukraine chose the head of a new national Orthodox church on Saturday, marking a historic split from Russia which its leaders see as vital to the country's security and independence.
"In Ukraine, these processes, this schism-creating activity is completely mixed up with politics, which of course is probably not allowed in church canon," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.
