On 24 June 2026, a delegation of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) met in Berlin, Germany, with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, and participated in the annual reception of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD).
During the meeting with Ambassador Makeiev, which took place at the Embassy of Ukraine in Germany, the Ukrainian religious leaders discussed a number of issues related to the development of Ukrainian-German relations, dialogue between the Embassy and the Ukrainian religious community in Germany, and support for Ukrainian refugees.
Later that evening, the UCCRO delegation attended the annual EKD reception held on the occasion of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The event brought together more than 500 representatives of Lutheran and other religious communities, German government officials, and members of the Bundestag. At the opening of the reception, participants warmly welcomed the Ukrainian religious leaders with applause and expressed their support for Ukraine.
Addressing the participants of the official event, Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Johann Wadephul, noted that, in the context of contemporary crises and threats, Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, which for “the fifth consecutive year has threatened the brave people of Ukraine” and “the security of the entire European continent,” has introduced the term “war-readiness” into the vocabulary of German society.
According to the Foreign Minister, defense spending constitutes “an investment in the future” of Germany, and such expenditures “will ensure its continued existence.”
Emphasizing the importance of faith in both public and personal life, Minister Wadephul further stated that “a free society is not one in which religion becomes invisible, but one in which people are able to openly profess their faith.”
It should be recalled that on 22–23 June 2026, the UCCRO delegation held meetings in Brussels, Belgium, with European religious leaders, experts from non-governmental organizations, Members of the European Parliament, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, and EU diplomats.
The visit of the Ukrainian religious leaders’ delegation to Brussels and Berlin is taking place with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Office in Ukraine.