Epiphany Dumenko and Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov discuss issues of church-state relations

on March 7, 2026, the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, met in Kyiv with the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Kirill Budanov. The main topics of the dialogue were church-state relations and countering «hostile influence» in the spiritual sphere.

According to the press service of the OCU, the meeting was held at the residence of Epiphany Dumenko at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery. The discussion was also attended by the head of the Chaplaincy Service of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Konstantin Kholodov.

During the meeting, the parties reviewed topical issues of church-state relations, analyzed the religious situation amid the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, and discussed mechanisms to counteract «hostile influences» in the spiritual sphere.

The head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, reiterated to Budanov his continued support and gratitude for preserving the sovereignty of the state and the Ukrainian people.

Earlier, we reported that the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, and his deputy, Iryna Mudra, took part in the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Purim, joining the local community in Kyiv.