Andriy Sybiga thanks Patriarch Bartholomew "for strengthening the spiritual independence of Ukraine"

on February 28, 2026, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiga visited Phanar. The official expressed his deep gratitude to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople for his consistent position and «strengthening the spiritual independence» of Ukraine. This was reported by Ukrinform.

According to Andriy Sybiga on his Facebook account, he had a special honor to congratulate Patriarch Bartholomew on his birthday. The minister emphasized that each of their personal meetings revealed the Patriarch’s deep spiritual wisdom, inner strength and sincere, truly warm fatherly love for Ukraine and its people. «In difficult times for the world, your word sounds especially significant — it is a word of truth and conscience. Your voice is the voice of the Church, which stands with the suffering and unjustly offended,» said Sybiga.

In addition, Andriy Sybiga praised the role of Patriarch Bartholomew in strengthening the spiritual independence of Ukraine and supporting the aspirations of the Ukrainian people to live in freedom and dignity. The Minister emphasized: «Your example of service is an example of the courage of a shepherd who is not afraid to call evil evil and stand on the side of truth.»

Earlier, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople addressed the head of the OCU with an instruction to actively seek ways to bring the UOC hierarchs closer together through dialogue and the search for common ground to achieve unity. Seven years after the granting of the Tomos of autocephaly, the Patriarch emphasized the importance of efforts to achieve peace, condemned state interference in church affairs, and called for a rethinking of positions for the sake of general reconciliation.