On April 13, 2026, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In recent years, such meetings have become a tradition during the Easter period. The meeting took place at the Metropolitan House of the National Sanctuary “Saint Sophia of Kyiv.”
The Head of State greeted representatives of Ukraine’s Christian churches on the occasion of Easter and Jewish representatives on Passover. V. Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the UCCRO for its consistent and ongoing contribution to strengthening the spiritual and moral component of Ukraine’s defense capability, as well as reinforcing the resilience and unity of Ukrainian society in resisting Russian military aggression. The President also thanked clergy of various denominations for their prayers and support for Ukrainian soldiers and families during the war.
In turn, members of the UCCRO thanked V. Zelenskyy for his service to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, as well as for facilitating the activities of churches and religious organizations. Religious leaders noted that since last year’s meeting with the President, positive progress has been achieved in several areas.
Heads of denominations acknowledged the efforts of the Ukrainian authorities to ensure an appropriate level of freedom of religion during wartime, as well as actions aimed at protecting religious freedom from interference by the aggressor state. Council members also highlighted the unique experience of fruitful interfaith cooperation within the UCCRO, which marks its 30th anniversary this year. The Council actively contributes to strengthening the resilience of the religious environment in countering Russia’s attempts to instrumentalize religion as part of its hybrid aggression.
Religious leaders noted the elevation of family policy at the governmental level and welcomed decisions by Parliament and the Government to increase financial support for families at childbirth. At the same time, heads of denominations emphasized that in the areas of family support and the upbringing of children based on moral and patriotic values, there remain issues that require joint efforts by the authorities, religious communities, and civil society organizations.
In the context of advocating for Ukraine internationally, it was noted that since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale aggression, churches and religious organizations have continuously worked to communicate truthful information about the war at the international level, using their available platforms. Participants in the meeting highlighted the significant potential for cooperation between religious communities and the government in this area.
Members of the UCCRO emphasized the importance of further developing the institution of military chaplaincy within Ukraine’s Defense Forces and requested that the President establish a Day of the Military Chaplain in Ukraine. Religious leaders also spoke about their visits to the front lines as part of interfaith groups, their communication with Ukrainian soldiers, and presented proposals to the Head of State regarding the training of military chaplains and the study of chaplaincy experience during wartime, including approaches to treating war-related trauma.
Participants in the meeting included: the Chairman of the UCCRO, Bishop Oleksandr Zan-Fabian; the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine; the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk; the Ordinary of the Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop Vitalii Kryvytskyi; the Head of the All-Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, Valerii Antoniuk; Senior Bishop of the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church Anatoliy Kozachok; Bishop of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, Vyacheslav Horpynchuk; the Supreme Mufti of Ukraine and Head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine, Akhmed Tamim; the Supreme Mufti of Crimea, Ayder Rustemov, Bishop of the Ukrainian Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church Marcos Hovhannisyan, as well as representatives of other member denominations.
Also participating in the meeting were: Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Olena Kovalska, and Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience Viktor Yelenskyi.