“We Want to Be the State’s Partner in Defending Ukraine’s Interests Around the World,” Head of the UGCC at a Meeting of the AUCRRO with the President of Ukraine
On April 13, members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The meeting took place at the Metropolitan’s Residence on the grounds of the St. Sophia of Kyiv National Reserve in Kyiv. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, spoke to the President about advocacy for Ukraine abroad.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Primate congratulated the President on Christ’s Resurrection, as well as his family and team, noting that many wonder where he draws the strength to so wisely defend Ukraine’s interests on the international stage. He emphasized that Ukrainians are already weary, yet the President sets an example of endurance, and his steadfastness is often a source of Ukraine’s resilience. His Beatitude Sviatoslav also assured the President of his support and prayers, so that the President would never lack strength to fight for the freedom of the Motherland.
As we celebrate Easter, the Head of the UGCC emphasized that Ukrainians are inspired by our defenders. “Because this Easter is marked by their blood.”
He emphasized the importance of the President’s mission as the voice of Ukraine in the world and underscored the Churches’ readiness to serve as partners in this endeavor.
“The mission you carry out as the voice of Ukraine in the international community is more important today than ever before. And in this effort, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations wishes to be a good partner.”
The Primate then drew attention to the significance of the Churches’ international activities and cited specific examples of such work.
“Today, the advocacy work of the Council of Churches is truly very important. Here are a few examples. Our Church has a thousand parishes in 50 countries around the world. And in every parish, the community serves as advocates for Ukraine. The same can be said of other Churches. Each of them has its own history, its own tradition of communication and defending our national interests.”
He also outlined the key message that the church community is conveying to the world, linking it to the theme of religious freedom.
“The message we send to the world as the Council of Churches is very specific. Today, a free Ukraine means religious freedom for us. As Greek Catholics, we see this as a very clear testimony, because this year we are commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of our Church by the Stalinist regime. Therefore, for our Church, the restoration of the Soviet Union means a return to the catacombs. This model of Church liquidation, which was applied at that time, is being applied even more radically today in the occupied territories.”
He also spoke about recent international initiatives aimed at conveying the truth about Ukraine.
“Just a few weeks ago, a major international conference of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was held at The Catholic University of America, organized in cooperation with our universities and the Archives of the Security Service of Ukraine. We presented documents to the world regarding the repression and liquidation of the Church by the Soviet regime. And in this way, we want to be a partner to our state so that together we can defend our interests. Therefore, you can rely on us.”
The Primate emphasized the importance of coordinating communication and the role of Churches as bearers of values in international dialogue.
“We would appreciate coordination of these messages, as political realities are changing today. And we also want to be a voice for certain values in international politics and in the standards of communication between civilized nations.”
He paid special attention to the topic of Ukrainians abroad and their future return.
“I also want to assure you that our entire Church truly wants to do everything possible so that our people, who, due to circumstances, have gone abroad, may one day return home when their Motherland calls them to rebuild Ukraine. This is a daunting task. But today we say: Christ is Risen—the war will end.”
He emphasized that the Church is already preparing society for the challenges that will follow the end of the war.
“We are already preparing our people for the period when we will need to fight for Ukraine after the war ends. And then the challenges will be, perhaps, even more difficult and even more insidious. But even here we are ready to work so that the global Ukrainian community—by the way, we’ve said this many times, that there are 60 million of us—so that all Ukrainians could come, even those born in the tenth generation, to reconnect with their Motherland.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav also shared a testimony about the international reaction to the war in Ukraine.
“One brief testimony to conclude. In February 2026, just as the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion was approaching, our Synod held its session in Brazil. We had dozens of meetings and interviews. And on the anniversary of the invasion, the main newspaper of the state of São Paulo published an article about Ukraine, stating that ‘Russia invaded the territory but collided with a nation’—we understand that in the world we are not merely a territory; we are people, we are a nation defending our freedom.”
In conclusion, the Head of the UGCC expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be together, wished Ukraine victory, and wished the President strength and health.
Photo: Office of the President of UkraineThe UGCC Department for Information
