"Servant of People" may allow Shevchuk and Dumenko to join talks on ORDLO

Святослав Шевчук и Епифаний Думенко. Фото: religionpravda.com.ua

The Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk could include the heads of the OCU and the UGCC Epiphany Dumenko and Sviatoslav Shevchuk. Iryna Vereshchuk, an MP from the “Servant of the People” party, said this on the air of “Obozrevatel.TV”, commenting on the initiative voiced by the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Alexey Reznikov to attract the clergy to the negotiation process in the Donbass.

“If this helps the process – yes, I believe that we should expand the representation exactly as much as necessary, and so that it causes acceptance in society,” the representative of the “Servant of the People” noted. “We have authorities on which we can rely, and these include religious authorities. If it is Epiphany or, for example, Mr. Shevchuk, I think that this will certainly not harm the cause.”

To the host’s remark that the presence of these religious leaders can cause an ambiguous reaction from representatives of uncontrolled territories, Vereshchuk explained that she does not see a problem in this.

“In the end, we are talking with Russia – it is a party to the conflict and is responsible for everything that happens in the temporarily occupied part of the Donbass,” she stressed.

As reported earlier, the first deputy head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group for the Settlement of the Situation in the Donbass, Aleksey Reznikov, said that the authorities are looking for “people of those activities that are easy to measure” for negotiations. These are priests, human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, activists, representatives of culture, and sport.”

Read also

In Ukraine, Trump’s 'spiritual advisor' reassured of religious freedom

Pastor Mark Burns stated that Ukraine, despite the war, is a "beacon of religious freedom."

Lavra brethren congratulate Metropolitan Pavel on 31 years as abbot

The monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra have expressed hope that they will soon be able to pray again with their abbot.

Amsterdam: Intrusion into Lavra Caves – a return to Soviet-era persecution

International lawyer Robert Amsterdam has condemned the actions of Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture regarding the inspection of holy relics in the Caves of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, calling it a violation of religious freedom.

Over 20 EU states condemn Hungary for ban on LGBT propaganda among children

“This restricts the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,” diplomats state in a joint declaration.

His Beatitude officiates consecration of Bishop of Rakhiv

At the Church of St. Agapitus in the Lavra, the Primate of the UOC ordained a vicar for the Khust Eparchy.

Met Victor: It is painful to see Lavra's relics turned into test subjects

According to the bishop, there is particular concern over how members of the scientific commission will handle the holy relics.