Estonia has announced it will not renew the residence permit of Metropolitan Eugene of the Estonian Orthodox Church, calling him a threat to national security.
The Russian Orthodox clergyman, whose full name is Valeri Reshetnikov, will have to leave the country by February 6, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported Thursday.
His public statements as the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate were found to be in support of Russia, which is waging an all-out war against Estonia’s ally Ukraine.
“Representatives of the Ministry of the Interior have repeatedly met with Reshetnikov to explain to him that he needs to stop vindicating the Kremlin regime and Russia’s military actions in his statements,” said Indrek Aru, the spokesperson of Estonia’s border guard.
“Reshetnikov has not altered his conduct, which is found to be incompatible with Estonia’s values and legal environment. That is why Reshetnikov’s actions pose a threat to security,” he added.
“The actions of both the Moscow patriarch and Metropolitan Eugene have aided Russia’s security policy in Estonia,” Aru said, noting that the Estonian parliament had declared Russia a terrorist state.
Reshetnikov has lived in Estonia for four years, with his residence permit being extended two years ago — before Russia invaded Ukraine.