OCU delegation holds a series of meetings in Washington
With the blessing of the Primate, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Yevstratiy of Bila Tserkva, participated in the Ukrainian panel discussion at the International Summit on Religious Freedom. In his address, he condemned the Moscow Patriarchate as an aggressive tool of Russia's hybrid war. The text of the speech in Ukrainian and English can be found here. This was reported by the press service of the OCU.
At the organizers' invitation, Metropolitan Yevstratiy attended an all-American gathering of prayer and repentance at the Washington Bible Museum.
The delegation headed by Metropolitan Epifaniy had a series of meetings with members of the U.S. Congress. During discussions with Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Representatives Gus Bilirakis of Florida and Nicole Malliotakis of New York, they addressed the state of religious freedom in Ukraine, Russian persecution and crimes in the temporarily occupied territories, efforts to counter Kremlin propaganda and misinformation spread by pro-Russian mercenaries, and further steps toward securing victory for truth and just peace in Ukraine. Members of the U.S. Congress expressed their support for the Ukrainian people and the local Orthodox Church of Ukraine in their righteous struggle against Russian aggression and propaganda.
Furthermore, within the U.S. Capitol, as part of the delegation of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, OCU representatives met with senior advisers to the Speaker of the House, Michael Johnson, in his office.
In addition, at the U.S. State Department, Metropolitan Epifaniy and members of the OCU delegation met with Ambassador Yuri Kim, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia. In their conversation, Metropolitan Epifaniy expressed gratitude for the support the U.S. government and people continue to provide Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
“During the Prayer Breakfast, we heard from President Donald Trump that he desires to be a peacemaker. This is a blessed and noble aspiration, and we pray that God grants wisdom, strength, and all necessary assistance in achieving this goal—the establishment of a just and lasting peace,” the Metropolitan said.
Metropolitan Epifaniy also responded to questions regarding the current religious situation in Ukraine and the temporarily occupied territories, the position of the Moscow Patriarchate, and measures taken by the Ukrainian state to prevent religion from being exploited as a tool of war.
In addition, Metropolitan Yevstratiy, as part of the UCCRO delegation, participated in a meeting with Patrick Harvey, a senior official of the Office of International Religious Freedom of the U.S. Department of State, and his staff.
