[Kolokotronis]

“...the Abkhazian Orthodox Church”

As +Alexey of blessed memory pointed out, there’s no such thing.

“Should Russian Orthodox priests therefore be expelled from Ukraine and Georgia?”

You misunderstand the ecclesiology of the Orthodox Church. Ukraine is part of the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church, though there are, I believe, two schismatic groups there claiming to be the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. I doubt there are many, if any, Russian Orthodox priests in Georgia as Georgia, and Abkhazia and South Ossetia are in the jurisdiction of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Any Russian priests functioning there are doing so with the permission of the Georgian Church.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Russia does not respect Georgia's rightful claim over Abkhazia, so why should Ukraine respect the Russian church's “jurisdiction” in Ukraine? Russia should be treated they way they treat their orthodox Georgian “brothers.”

[Tailgunner Joe]

"The Georgian church officials complain that the Russian church interferes in Abkhazia by training and sending in priests loyal to Moscow. The Russian church officials published translations of the Gospels in Abkhazian, which drew protests from the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church as a violation of Orthodox Church canon law, constituting a meddling in the internal affairs of another Orthodox church and annexation of Georgian Orthodox property in Abkhazia." - LINK

[Tailgunner Joe]

"The Russian Orthodox Church took upon itself an apostolic feat to preserve and develop the Orthodoxy in Abkhazia at the times of disaster." - Official Site of the Abkhazian Orthodox Eparchy

[Tailgunner Joe]

ABKHAZIA: "Of course" authorities won't defend Georgian monks and nuns - September 4, 2008 - Asked who had given him the right to pressure members of a different religious jurisdiction to submit to his authority, Fr Aplia responded angrily: "It's not your business. It's our territory." Abkhaz Deputy Foreign Minister Maxim Gvinjia backs the right of the Abkhaz Church to enforce its will on the monks and nuns. "Of course we won't defend their rights, given the context of current developments..."

[Tailgunner Joe]

Russian Patriarch Thanks Abkhaz ‘President’ - February 12, 2009 - Russia’s new Patriarch Kirill sent a letter to Abkhaz leader, Sergey Bagapsh, calling him “the President of Abkhazia.” In the letter the Russian Patriarch tells Bagapsh that the Russian Church would “remain committed to the course” of his predecessor, Alexy II, “related to further development of brotherly relations between the people of Russia and Abkhazia.” The letter, which was posted on the Russian patriarchate’s official website on February 11, was sent to thank the Abkhaz leader for congratulating Patriarch Kirill on his enthronement. Meanwhile, the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee reported on February 12, that a similar latter of gratitude was sent to breakaway South Ossetia’s leader, Eduard Kokoity.