On June 4, 2024, the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, met with the Ambassador of the Netherlands, Jennes de Mol, who is completing his diplomatic mission in Ukraine. The meeting took place at the residence of the head of the UGCC in Kyiv.
This was reported by the Information Department of the UGCC.
During the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav and Ambassador Jennes de Mol discussed a wide range of issues, focusing on the causes of Russian aggression and ways to achieve peace in Ukraine, the humanitarian situation and the role of the Netherlands and the UGCC in supporting the Ukrainian people.
Mr. Jennes, who learned Ukrainian during his stay in Ukraine, emphasized his support for Ukraine and assured of further assistance from the Netherlands. He also expressed interest in continuing cooperation with the UGCC.
First of all, His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked the Ambassador for learning the Ukrainian language, calling it "a manifestation of great respect for our people." The Primate also noted that the war in Ukraine has become more than Ukrainian's struggle for survival. It is now a confrontation between two projects of the future: imperial Russia and peaceful, democratic Ukraine.
The head of the UGCC spoke about the Church's efforts to provide spiritual support to Ukrainians, in particular through pastoral care for the grieving and healing of the wounds of war, as well as providing humanitarian aid and advocacy for the Ukrainian issue in the world. He emphasized the importance of international solidarity with Ukraine.
The issue of the upcoming Peace Summit in Switzerland, which should become a platform for finding a peaceful settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian war, was discussed separately. His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that the summit would become an opportunity for participating states to work out the aspects of a future peace formula based on respect for international law.
The head of the UGCC stated with regret that he was witnessing a mutation of international law. "No one talks about the sovereignty of small countries, including the Netherlands. Everyone is concerned with geopolitical interests, the geopolitical interests of the world's most powerful rather than the rights of sovereign states! This is a real threat. Therefore, the joint search for a peaceful formula is essential not only for Ukraine but for the whole world," the Head of the UGCC emphasized.
Agreeing with this statement, the Ambassador of the Netherlands added that one of the priorities for his country, which hosts the International Criminal Court in The Hague, is to investigate and convict Russia's war crimes and thus establish justice.
Mr. Jennes de Mol noted that he is completing his diplomatic mission with great empathy for Ukraine. "Among all the countries where I have been ambassador, Ukraine is the hardest to leave. I feel like a member of Ukrainian society," he said.
"Ukrainians expect that you will not leave us," added His Beatitude Sviatoslav in conclusion. "We will go through more pain yet, but we must be sure that this pain is not for naught. It is important for us to know that the world is with Ukraine. We need to know that the world does more than thank us for our courage, but that it stands with us, helps us, and visits us."