Jerusalem Patriarch offers Putin assistance in peace efforts
Patriarch Theophilos III met with Putin in the Kremlin and offered assistance in achieving peace in Ukraine.
Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin and offered his assistance in promoting a peaceful settlement of the military conflict, reports the website of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Addressing the head of state, Patriarch Theophilos noted that he is aware of various proposals for negotiations on settling the situation in the military conflict.
"My task as the spiritual leader of all the Christian denominations represented in Jerusalem is to listen to those around us, those people who long to live in peace. We are ready to offer our help and encourage in every way any efforts to ease tensions and achieve peace between brothers," the Primate of the Church of Jerusalem stressed.
During the meeting, Vladimir Putin presented Patriarch Theophilos III with the Order of Friendship for his great contribution to strengthening cooperation and spiritual ties with Russia. The head of state noted that joint efforts are aimed at preserving the historic Christian presence in the Middle East.
In his reply, the Patriarch of Jerusalem also thanked Putin for his support of Orthodox holy sites, pointing to the difficult situation and the decline in the number of Christians in the region.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that Donald Trump backed the candidacy of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem as a mediator in efforts to establish peace in Ukraine.
