The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, paid a visit on Saturday, April 4, 2026, to the headquarters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the Phanar, his fourth visit since his election.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew warmly received the President at the Patriarchal Office, and the two held a private meeting lasting one and a half hours. During their discussion, the Ecumenical Patriarch, among other things, expressed the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s support for peace efforts, as well as its ongoing concern for the thousands of abducted Ukrainian children, expressing the hope that they will soon return and be reunited with their families in Ukraine.
Present on behalf of the Mother Church were Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon, Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios, Director of the Patriarchal Private Office, and Epiphanios, of Ukrainian origin, while members of the Ukrainian delegation included Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ambassador of Ukraine to Ankara Nariman Dzhelialov, Consul General in Constantinople Roman Nedilskyi, officials of the Presidential Office, and other representatives.
Immediately afterward, in the Throne Hall, the Ecumenical Patriarch blessed the remaining members of the Ukrainian delegation, and together with the President greeted the representatives of the media present. In their statements, they expressed their satisfaction over their new meeting.
In exclusive statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), His All-Holiness noted that the Ecumenical Patriarchate always prays for the prevalence of peace and supports negotiations for the peaceful resolution of all conflicts.
“We stand close to our fellow human beings who suffer in the Middle East, in Ukraine, and elsewhere in the world,” the Ecumenical Patriarch stressed, as he escorted the President of Ukraine to the entrance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his statements to ANA-MPA, emphasized that “Ukraine remains steadfast in its pursuit of a just peace. Every step we take is aimed at protecting our people and restoring our sovereignty. The unity of the world is our strength, and together we will ensure that freedom prevails over aggression.”
Regarding the possibility of new peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Constantinople, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that this was one of the issues he discussed earlier with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stressing that it is essential for negotiations to continue.
Among other remarks, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized that the Ecumenical Patriarchate continually prays for the prevalence of peace and supports negotiations for the peaceful resolution of all conflicts.
“We stand close to our fellow human beings who suffer in the Middle East, in Ukraine, and elsewhere in the world,” the Ecumenical Patriarch stressed. He then escorted the President of Ukraine to the entrance of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Photo: Nikos Papachristou
