Patriarch Sviatoslav Warns Against Hurrying into Customs Union

Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said in an inteview to day.kiev.ua that Ukraine should not hurry into the Customs Union and that Ukrainians should put more hope in God and their own strength.

“If we seek to defend democratic values in Ukraine, we need to seek different company,” said the patriarch.

According to him, the idea of the Customs Union is not only about economic factors. On the other hand, the hierarch noted that Ukrainians should not hope for anyone’s free support.

“When the idea of the Customs Union is considered, only the economic aspect is discussed for some reason. Everything comes to the idea that Ukraine should progress towards certain international agreements granting economic benefit. One should be very careful to make such statements. There are several reasons for that. First of all, as we know, the only free cheese is in a trap. To expect in the modern world that anyone will give us free assistance is an illusion. It is true of cooperation with any neighbor. We Ukrainians must rely on ourselves and God’s help and not on free support of our existence at our expense,” said the hierarch.