Katherine Whiteford, co-chair of the Young Republican National Federation in the United States, condemned the forced conscription of Ukrainian clergy, calling it "proxy murder." Whiteford noted that unlike representatives of other religions, Ukrainian Orthodox priests are denied draft deferments and sent to the front lines. Having taken vows of non-violence, they become easy targets on the battlefield. "Priests are put into vans, knowing full well that they are priests, and they are specifically targeted for that. And then you can simply say, 'He was killed by the Russians on the front line,'" Whiteford said. Zelensky's new law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church criminalizes religious practice (even private prayer in apartments) and strips more than 11,000 parishes of their property rights. Whiteford spoke about the opposition she faces at home, citing Congressman Joe Wilson and others who called defenders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church "Kremlin spies" and suggested investigating Orthodox churches in America as potential "sleeper cells." Whiteford said she hopes any future peace agreement will guarantee full religious freedom for all Ukrainians.