"Those who believe that NATO expansion is the cause of the war are blindly following Russian propaganda," - The Head of the UGCC in the USA

This was reported by the communication service of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia of the UGCC.

At the beginning, His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted the significance of speaking on February 18 — the anniversary of the beginning of the executions on the Maidan 11 years ago. He remarked that since then, Ukraine has remained at the center of global attention, though he preferred to focus on the people.

“I am neither a politician nor a public figure; I am a clergyman entrusted with the custody, prayer, and guidance of God’s people — the suffering, yet dignified children of God who seek peace and demand justice,” said the head of the UGCC.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav identified Russian neo-imperial ambitions as the main cause of the war, fueled by the myth of the Russian world’s special mission — an ideological construct that underpins Russia’s military expansion. “Those who believe that NATO expansion is the cause of the war are blindly following Russian propaganda. NATO did not exist in the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries, nor were security concerns an issue for the Soviet Union during the Holodomor,” he emphasized.

In his address, he referenced a letter from the holy martyr Omelian Kovch, who wrote to his family that the Majdanek concentration camp was the only place, apart from heaven, where he wanted to be — because there, he could help people and fulfill his mission. His Beatitude Sviatoslav reflected: “Remaining in Kyiv during the war is not only my duty but also a blessing that strengthens my faith, deepens my sense of purpose and allows me to stand in solidarity with my people.” This, he said, is what gives him hope.

During the discussion, moderated by Metropolitan Borys Gudziak of Philadelphia, His Beatitude Sviatoslav told the audience - mostly faculty and students of theological programs of the Catholic University of America - about his experience of celebrating Christmas in the crypt of the Resurrection Cathedral in Kyiv, which serves as a shelter for residents of the surrounding high-rise buildings: “The Lord chose to be born here, in our shelter.” He also recounted stories of dedicated priests and their families serving amid the war.

The lecture was attended by the bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the United States: Metropolitan Borys Gudziak (Archeparchy of Philadelphia), Bishop Paul Chomnycky (Eparchy of Stamford), Bishop Bohdan Danylo (Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma), and Bishop Venedykt Aleksiychuk (Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago).