Authorities praise UCCRO for ‘religious diplomacy’

Sybiha and Yelenskyi praise Dumenko. Photo: OCU

On July 24, 2025, a meeting was held between Ukrainian authorities and members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO). The state was represented by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Olena Kovalska, and Head of the State Ethno-Religious Service (DESS) Viktor Yelenskyi. Representing UCCRO were OCU head Serhii Dumenko, Roman Catholic Bishop Vitalii Kryvytskyi, along with Jewish, Muslim, and Protestant representatives.

According to reports, “participants discussed support for believers abroad, freedom of religion, and joint efforts in international informational and educational outreach.”

Sybiha stated that more than 7 million Ukrainians are currently living abroad and “reaffirmed the Foreign Ministry’s readiness to develop cooperation to support Ukrainian communities overseas.”

He did not explain why representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) – whose believers constitute the majority of Ukrainian faithful abroad – were not invited to the meeting.

Sybiha criticized Russia for the partial or total destruction of 596 Christian churches.

He emphasized that “since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian churches and religious organizations have become an integral part of our nation’s defense, engaging actively in spiritual, chaplaincy, humanitarian, social, and international advocacy work.”

He also alluded to the government's campaign against the UOC: “Parliament is making a significant contribution to countering Russian aggression and its devastating consequences. Your advocacy for Ukraine abroad and your efforts to communicate the truth about Russian aggression to the international community demonstrate the great potential of religious diplomacy,” the minister stated.

UCCRO members expressed their willingness to continue supporting the government at the international level.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that President Zelensky had thanked UCCRO members for advocating for Ukraine abroad.

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