On 29 May 2026, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) met in Kyiv with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko. The meeting focused on current issues concerning church-state relations, moral and patriotic education, family policy, and social initiatives.

In her remarks, Ms. Svyrydenko noted that since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, many religious communities have been assisting people, engaging in volunteer work, and supporting those most in need. The Head of Government expressed gratitude to churches and religious organizations for their support of military personnel, veterans, their families, and all Ukrainians during this difficult time.

Religious leaders thanked the Prime Minister of Ukraine for addressing issues related to the spiritual and social activities of religious communities during Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

Representatives of UCCRO emphasized that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has a hybrid nature, one dimension of which is the religious sphere, including Russia’s use of religious communities as a weapon. This primarily concerns the Moscow Patriarchate, as well as other Russian religious centers—Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, and others. According to the participants, these structures are being used to promote the ideology of the “Russian World” (Russkiy Mir) and Rashism, and to justify armed aggression against Ukraine both within Russia and on the international stage.

Against the backdrop of the growing demographic crisis caused by the war, the heads of religious denominations expressed their readiness to strengthen cooperation with state authorities in supporting families and protecting parenthood and childhood. Representatives of UCCRO asked the Government to consider, as part of its family support policies, preferential housing loans for large families, as well as support for social institutions assisting orphans, children with disabilities, elderly persons with disabilities who live alone, and other vulnerable groups.

Particular attention was paid to issues of moral and patriotic education for children and youth. While acknowledging positive developments in this area, representatives of various denominations expressed deep concern regarding the content of certain sex education programs and educational materials intended for children aged six and older. According to the participants, these materials disregard the institution of the family, foster division between women and men, and may have a harmful impact on children’s psychological development. It was noted that a meeting between representatives of religious communities and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is planned to discuss these concerns.

Representatives of UCCRO stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation between religious denominations and executive authorities and proposed the establishment or restoration of specialized public advisory councils on cooperation with religious organizations under central executive bodies. As an example, they cited the long-standing cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science and UCCRO through the Public Council for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Organizations, which has been operating since 2008. Religious leaders also emphasized the importance of involving UCCRO representatives in the drafting of legislation affecting the activities of religious organizations.

The participants also highlighted the importance of pastoral ministry carried out by religious organizations outside Ukraine among Ukrainian refugees and diaspora communities and underscored the need for continued cooperation with relevant government authorities in this area.

Following the meeting, the participants expressed their commitment to further developing the partnership between UCCRO and the Government of Ukraine.

Among those attending the meeting on behalf of the Government were Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine Tetyana Berezhna, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Olena Kovalska, Head of the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience Viktor Yelenskyi, and other representatives of executive authorities.

Representing UCCRO were Metropolitan Epiphaniy, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine; Bishop Yosyf Milan of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Bishop Vitalii Kryvytskyi of the Roman Catholic Church; Senior Bishop Anatoliy Kozachok of the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church; Bishop Marcos Hovhannisyan of the Ukrainian Armenian Apostolic Church; Senior Bishop Oleksandr Zaitsev of the Ukrainian Church of Evangelical Christians; Bishop Roman Prodaniuk of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ukraine; as well as other representatives of churches and religious organizations.

Photo: Andriy Sydor