Archbishop of the UOC in the USA condemns OCA hierarch’s meeting with Russian president

Archbishop Daniel (Zelinsky) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA has published a statement condemning a recent meeting between a hierarch of the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian president during his visit to North America. According to the archbishop, such actions represent a “betrayal of the Gospel of Christ” and “caused deep sorrow and righteous indignation” among Ukrainian church hierarchs, particularly in a joint position with Metropolitan Anthony. The statement was published on the archbishop’s Facebook page.

“These gestures are not merely superficial; they are a betrayal of the Gospel of Christ and a scandal for the faithful. At a time when the Russian regime is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands, the disappearance of countless innocents, the destruction of families, and the deliberate devastation of Ukraine, expressing words of greeting and admiration to its leader is nothing other than embracing lies,” the archbishop wrote.

The hierarch also noted that “history remembers with shame those who once smiled at tyrants, who spoke gently to mass murderers, who flattered oppressors in the name of diplomacy or false peace.” He believes that repeating such mistakes today constitutes a betrayal of Christian witness and desecrates the memory of the martyrs.

“May the Lord strengthen His people to resist the lies of tyrants and the temptations of false peace. May He grant us the courage to stand firmly for truth and justice until the day His righteousness prevails and His mercy heals the brokenhearted,” Archbishop Daniel concluded his address.

It is also worth noting that the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Olena Ivanovska, criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands to ensure the safety of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as part of a peaceful settlement in the war between Russia and Ukraine. She called Putin’s proposals “cynical and unacceptable” and described the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as “an instrument of imperial policy.”