Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Primate of Orthodox Church of Cyprus

This was reported by Glavkom, citing a post by the Ukrainian leader.

The head of state informed the archbishop about the ongoing peace talks aimed at ending the war. He also urged the clergyman to assist Ukraine in restoring religious sites that have been damaged due to Russian aggression.

“For Ukraine and our people, especially during the war, humanitarian support is crucial — this includes medical and food aid, as well as resources for the restoration of religious sites. I called on the Primate of the Church of Cyprus to support us in these areas,” said Zelensky.

Additionally, the president extended an invitation to the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus to visit Ukraine. The archbishop expressed gratitude for the invitation and confirmed his willingness to travel to Kyiv.

As is known, the Church of Cyprus recognized the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in November 2020, becoming the third church to do so, following the Greek Church and the Patriarchate of Alexandria. However, this decision was not straightforward for its Primate, Chrysostomos II, due to considerable pro-Russian influence within the Church of Cyprus. At that time, it was reported that around four to five bishops, including the influential Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, opposed the recognition of the autocephalous Ukrainian Church.

The newly elected head of the Church of Cyprus in 2023 has since supported his predecessor's decision to recognize the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.