Russian Patriarch expressed confidence that relations between Russia and Ukraine will be restored soon
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus, Vladimir Gundyaev, has expressed confidence that the reconciliation and restoration of fraternal relations between Kyiv and Moscow are inevitable, as reported by Interfax-Religion.
According to him, the minority was involved in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the conflict itself hasn’t affected deeper layers.
Gundyaev expressed a special hope that the Russian Orthodox Church and its Sister Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, may play an intermediary role in this reconciliation. He also stated that he believes that all of this can happen very quickly as the illness hasn’t infiltrated the lives of the people of Ukraine and Russia.
Reiterating the position of one united nation of Ukraine and Russia, Gundyaev said, “we hope and believe that the Lord will give His grace to the people of Russia and Ukraine, and to the people to which the pastoral care of our church is extended”.
Relations between Russia and Ukraine have dramatically deteriorated since the beginning of 2014 when Moscow deployed troops to the Crimea. Moscow then went on to occupy the peninsula and discussed the accession of the Crimea to Russia. They then began to organize similar disorder in the Donbas, and eventually continued onto direct military aggression.
Russia has not officially recognized its involvement in this aggression, or in any of Ukraine’s internal affairs.
The activities of forces calling for early parliamentarian elections, or for the coup of the current Ukrainian authorities, have recently intensified in Ukraine. According to critics, these activities are inspired by Russia, who seek to bring pro-Russian forces into power to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine under their conditions.