Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on peace talks: “We are not a territory, we are human beings”
Russia, through its ideological machinery, is imposing a narrative focused solely on territory. But we are living people, not territories—we are human beings. This was stated by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, during the program Open Church on Zhyve Television, speaking about the so-called red lines in peace negotiations with the Russian Federation.
“In the context of all these memoranda and negotiations, these negotiations lack any real discussion of human rights — especially the natural right to religious freedom,” the Primate added.
His Beatitude noted that Ukraine is a nation of millions: “If the Russians do not acknowledge the subjectivity of our people and our right to exist—if they refuse to recognize that we even exist—then there is no one to negotiate with. We remember that this same situation occurred in 2022. The Russians did not consider those who came to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine to be equal or legitimate interlocutors, because they denied Ukraine’s right to exist. Well then, if Ukraine supposedly has no right to exist, what kind of peace agreements with Ukraine can there even be?!”
According to the Head of the Church, we must speak today about the right to life and personal inviolability of those living in the occupied territories. “Who today is speaking up for the rights of believers there? We have lost nearly a hundred of our parishes. Who will speak about our inherent right to profess the faith into which we were born—even in those territories under temporary occupation? Who will speak of restitution or compensation for the damage done? Not only material damage, but also human and moral harm,” he asks.
“We cannot speak of any just agreement unless the criminal is convicted. Without justice, there can be no peace. I would like everyone involved in the negotiations—even those pressuring Ukraine—to acknowledge the dignity of the people who live here,” he insists.
The Head of the UGCC recalled the words of Pope Leo XIII: peace must be dignified. “The fruit of such peace must be the ability to live with dignity and to grow on our own land. And so that no one will threaten us again—neither from the sky, nor the earth, nor the sea—with the loss of our rights or our very lives,” the Primate said.
The UGCC Department for Information
