The top figure in Eastern Orthodox Christianity on Sunday declared that “Ukraine’s sovereignty is not up for debate, nor can it be negotiated under the guise of diplomacy,” as he celebrated Mass in Istanbul on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who is considered the “first among equals” in Eastern Orthodoxy, said any future peace agreement “must include Ukraine as an equal participant.” He praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his “tireless effort” to defend the country’s independence.
