Head of OCU hints at the need to return nuclear weapons to Ukraine

On February 7, 2025, while participating in the Ukrainian Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, made a speech in which he hinted at the need to restore Ukraine’s nuclear status. Dumenko complained that Ukraine had once abandoned nuclear weapons, which resulted in Russia’s invasion. Now, in his opinion, in order for the country to resist Russian aggression, it needs “the very sword” that will help Ukraine to survive. The text of Epiphany Dumenko’s speech is published on the official website of the OCU.

“Our state has given up nuclear weapons, hoping that the protection and order promised by the great countries is the best way to maintain peace. Unfortunately, the fact that we wanted peace and did everything to make it prevail in our country and in the world was perceived by evil people as our weakness and thought that we, our country and our land would be quick prey for them. But our historical experience of being in the yoke, in the slavery of the “Russian world,” the millions of our brothers and sisters killed in wars and famines do not allow us to forget what could be in store for Ukraine if the Russian evil empire succeeded in its plans. Therefore, we have no choice but to fight the evil of the “Russian world,” this newest incarnation of the evil empire, and to defeat this darkness. And to fight and to win, we need not only good wishes, we need actions. We need the same sword so that we “can resist on an evil day and, having overcome everything, survive,” — Epiphany said.

Earlier, the head of the press service of the OCU, Yevstratiy Zoria, said that the Russian Orthodox Church would sooner or later join the recognition of the Tomos of autocephaly of the OCU. According to Zorya, although the Russian Orthodox Church will be the last Local Church to accept the existence of the OCU, the Russian Church, like others, will accept the new reality.