President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the heads and representatives of evangelical Protestant churches and the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine. The meeting was held on April 2, 2024, at the House of the Bible of the Ukrainian Bible Society. 

The Head of State congratulated the religious leaders on Easter and wished Ukraine victory in the war against Russian occupiers. "It will definitely be achieved thanks to our warriors, our people and your sincere prayers," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said and thanked the clergy for supporting believers in this difficult time.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine

It is very important that people have the opportunity to come, talk to you, and pray. I would also like to express my gratitude for the service of our military chaplains. Thanks to you, our men and women at the front have the opportunity to communicate and feel support from you

The Head of State also pointed out the importance of communication between churches of different countries.

"I would like to ask you to communicate with each other not only here, within our country, but also abroad. This dialog is very important for us now. After all, the church has a great influence on society, on state leaders. Therefore, this is a very important signal for us to support our partners," the President emphasized.

Valeriy Antoniuk, head of the All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists emphasized the importance of religious freedom in Ukraine. According to him, this is evidenced, in particular, by the effective partnership with the American community. Among other things, they hold prayer breakfasts, that gives an opportunity to share information about what is happening in Ukraine.

Valeriy Antoniuk

Head of the All-Ukrainian Union of the Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists

Unfortunately, the international community is getting used to the horrors of war. That is why the world needs truthful, timely and current information about Russian aggression against Ukraine. Church ministers should do their best to ensure that our fellow believers on different continents know what is happening in our country. The joint efforts of Christians form a powerful front to resist evil and violence and to defeat the aggressor

The clergymen proposed to Volodymyr Zelenskyy to resume the tradition of a national prayer breakfast with the participation of foreign politicians and religious leaders. The President of Ukraine supported the proposal for a national prayer breakfast.

Anatoliy Kozachok

Senior bishop of the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church

The Church, in addition to its great humanitarian, advocacy, and chaplaincy work, carries out a great ministry in society by cushioning stress so that it does not have such a powerful impact on the mental and physical health of our people. A large part of Ukrainian society needs encouragement and psychological assistance, and the church is and will continue to engage in pastoral care for both civilians and the military.

In December 2021, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations. At the end of March this year, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, met with representatives of religious communities to discuss Ukraine's advocacy at the international level.

Photo by president.gov.ua