Head of the UGCC in the 163rd Week of War: Ukrainians Are Wary of Agreements with Russia
The aggressor despises diplomacy, using it merely as a tool to stall negotiations and justify its deliberate aggressive plans. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, stated this in his traditional video address marking the 163rd week of Russia’s full-scale brutal war against Ukraine.
On the night of March 31, 2025, Russia attacked Kharkiv with drones. Photo from Oleh Syniehubov’s Telegram channel
The Primate noted that yet another week of grave crimes had unfolded across Ukraine, with heavy fighting continuing along the entire front line.
“Despite high-level agreements on ceasefires or other efforts to halt Russia’s armed aggression, ordinary people see no results. However, we welcome the emergence of a coalition of strong-willed countries in Europe that are committed to supporting Ukraine in its struggle,” said the Head of the UGCC.
On the day of the Annunciation, preliminary agreements between Ukrainian, American, and Russian delegations, who had met in Saudi Arabia, were made public. Discussions centered on a truce in the Black Sea and the opening of trade corridors.
However, according to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, most Ukrainians remain highly skeptical of these ceasefire proposals. People trust not signed papers, but concrete actions. So far, Russia has not ceased its attacks on Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure.
“We continue to pray and work toward the peace we long for. We sincerely hope that at least the agreements concerning the exchange of prisoners of war and the release of our children from Russian captivity will be honored,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The Head of the Church also highlighted an important foreign visit at the invitation of the Polish side. Representatives of the UGCC visited several institutions in Poland and met with the Ukrainian community there. Additionally, they presented the Polish translation of the UGCC Catechism Christ is Our Pascha in Warsaw. This Catechism has already been published in Russian, English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian, and has now been translated into German and Polish.
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Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 163rd Week of Full-Scale War, March 30, 2025
Another unique intellectual event also took place in Poland. In just a few days, on April 2, the world will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of St. John Paul II. Ukrainians remember him as the Pope of Ukrainian sovereignty—the only Pope in history to address the Ukrainian people in their native language.
“Today, we ask St. John Paul II to intercede in heaven for peace in Ukraine,” said the spiritual leader of Ukrainians.
The UGCC Department for Information
