"Patriarch Kirill takes after Putin" - Metropolitan Epifaniy

"We see that Patriarch Kirill is being assimilated with Putin. As Putin acts, according to the same patterns, Kirill is now acting on the part of the Russian Orthodox Church. If they can't influence, they try to split. They try to buy out clergymen in exchange for certain resources because there is no division within the Patriarchate of Alexandria as such.

I think there are some clerics who have received certain resources and said that they will be part of the so-called Russian Exarchate. However, this is indicative of other local Orthodox churches. Because the Russian Orthodox Church violated and is now violating the canonical structure of the church, which was not yet prescribed to the First Ecumenical Council in the 4th century," Metropolitan Epifaniy said.

In his opinion, such actions of the Russian Orthodox Church may also affect the recognition of the OCU by other local churches: "because other churches that are currently analyzing expect them to take into account these actions, which are now aimed at dividing Orthodoxy."

According to Metropolitan Epifaniy, the issue is currently on the agenda in the Romanian Orthodox Church, in the Bulgarian, Georgian, Albanian, Jerusalem and others.

"They're waiting. Therefore, aggressive actions on the part of the Russian Orthodox Church will contribute to the recognition of the Tomos of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church. Because such lawlessness cannot be supported by other Churches. This is a violation of the canonical order of the existence of the Church, which has already existed for more than one and a half thousand years," says the Primate of the OCU.

As for when we can expect recognition of the OCU, Metropolitan Epifaniy added:

"Predicting is a thankless task. But with God's help, I think we will receive recognition from other local Orthodox churches in the coming years. It's a matter of the near future."