Zelensky meets, prays with ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 8 joined[1] Bartholomew I, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, for a memorial service in Istanbul in honor of Ukrainians slain as a result of Russia's war. Zelensky thanked[2] Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians worldwide, for his unwavering support, prayers for peace and condemnation of Russia's aggression and crimes. The president said that he and Bartholomew had discussed the implementation of Ukraine's peace formula and the return of the children kidnapped by Russian troops.
Bartholomew recognized the Orthodox Church of Ukraine as independent from Moscow's religious leadership in 2018. Zelensky arrived in Turkey on July 7 and met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Zelensky had previously visited Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Igor Kossov
Reporter
Igor is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent.
He has previously covered conflict in the Middle East, investigated corruption in Ukraine and man-made environmental damage in Southeast Asia.
He has a Master's in Journalism from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and was published in the Kyiv Post, USA Today, The Atlantic, Daily Beast and Foreign Policy.