Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has invited the newly slected head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Epifaniy, to come to Istanbul to receive the "tomos" on January 6.
Jailed Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov gets a tribute at the EuroFilm Awards tonight:
Former world chess champion and Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov speaking in an interview on December 14 with Mikhail Sokolov of RFE/RL's Russian Service in Vilnius. Note last two comments about Ukraine.
"The main problem of the Kremlin is not connected to the ability or inability to control the processes inside the country, but the fact that the regime began to rapidly lose international status. Again, sooner or later it had to happen, because this aggressive policy of the Kremlin, it had to convince the free world that it was pointless to negotiate with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin."
"Actually, [Putin] now has achieved what the Russian opposition could not achieve in many years. He convinced the free world that he is the enemy who must be fought."
"It is clear that the tool kit that is used by the free world in this fight is different from Putin's. And yet, we see how gradually and steadily this machine spins up in defense of the free world from [Russian] attacks on [its] internal structure."
"In fact, Ukraine’s withdrawal from the [Russian Orthodox] Church space means breaking up these cultural ties that have linked Russia and Ukraine for so long, and practically nullifies the Kremlin's ability to influence the social and cultural life of Ukraine through the [Russian Orthodox] Church's institutions."
"We will inevitably witness how Russia will have to, how the future Russia will have to pay for all of Putin's adventures, no matter whether in Syria, in Ukraine. Just as nations have always paid for the crimes of their dictators."
More from Poroshenko after the formation of the new Ukrainian Orthodox Church:
"Today a new united and independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church was born. What is this church? This is a church without [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. What is this church? This church is without [Russian Orthodox Patriarch] Kirill. What is this church? This is a church without prayers for the Russian authorities and Russian troops, because they kill Ukrainians. But this is a church with God and Ukraine!"
From the RFE/RL news desk:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko speaking on December 15 in an address at St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv, where a historic council was held to form a new, unified, independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
"The issue of autocephaly is a matter of Ukrainian national security. This is a question of our Ukrainian statehood."
"We finally obtain spiritual independence that can be compared with gaining political independence."
"I emphasize: Ukraine was not, is not, and will not be the Russian [Orthodox] Church's canonical territory."
"I thank all those who gathered today on the square in front of the [St. Sophia] Cathedral. They gathered at 8 a.m. and waited for hours and hours in the cold weather. They are not just observers, they are also creators of our new church."
From the RFE/RL news desk:
A Ukrainian air force pilot was killed when his fighter jet crashed during a landing attempt on December 15, the country’s military announced.
The Ukrainian General Staff said the Sukhoi Su-27 went down while returning from a routine flight to its base in the northern region of Zhytomyr.
An investigation into the crash is under way.
Su-27 fighter jets were designed by the Soviet Union and continue to be built by Russia.
Depending on the model, they carry either one or two pilots. It was not immediately clear what model was involved in the December 15 crash.
Ukraine lost a two-seat Su-27 in October during exercises with the U.S. Air National Guard. An American pilot, riding in the second seat, died along with his Ukrainian co-pilot.
The latest from Kyiv, from the RFE/RL news desk:
Ukraine Orthodox Priests Form Unified Church, Elect Leader
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced a historic church council has agreed on the creation of an independent Orthodox church for Ukraine.
"It happened," Poroshenko told a crowd awaiting the council's decision in central Kyiv on December 15.
"This day will go down in history as the sacred day of the creation of the autocephalous local Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The day we finally receive our independence from Russia."
Metropolitan Epifaniy was elected by the council to head the new church.
The meeting in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was a crucial step in years of efforts to create a church in Ukraine that is independent of Moscow.
Several thousand people rallied outside the ancient St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv where the meeting had taken place behind closed doors.
Poroshenko has made an independent church a campaign pledge as part of his campaign for reelection in 2019.
"Let's stand and pray for a Ukrainian church to be created today," Poroshenko said as he greeted several of the rally's participants before going into the cathedral.
"The creation of our Church is another declaration of Ukraine's independence and you are the main participants of this historic event," he added.
Meanwhile, Poroshenko’s press secretary, Svyatoslav Tsegolko, posted on Facebook a photo from inside the cathedral where the priests are meeting.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate said on December 13 that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the "first among equals" in the global Eastern Orthodox faith, will hand over a "tomos" -- a decree granting autocephaly, or independence -- to the future head of the local Orthodox Church in Ukraine on January 6.
Ukraine currently has three main Orthodox denominations: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which remained subordinate to Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union, and two breakaway entities -- the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
Bartholomew announced the decision to recognize Ukraine's request for an autocephalous church in October.
The announcement by Bartholomew, who is considered the leader of the 300-million-strong worldwide Orthodox community, came amid deepening tension over efforts by Ukrainian Orthodox churches to formally break away from Russia’s orbit.
It also prompted the Russian Orthodox Church to announce days later that it was ending its relationship with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in protest.
The developments have added to tensions between Kyiv and Moscow, already high since Russia's 2014 seizure of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Moscow-backed separatists.
The Moscow Patriarchate has announced that its representatives will not attend the December 15 gathering.
Ahead of the meeting, the Russian Orthodox Church called on international leaders to "protect" its followers in Ukraine in the face of what it called official pressure on Moscow-appointed clerics.
BREAKING NEWS: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced a historic church council has agreed on the creation of an independent Orthodox church for Ukraine and has selected a leader for the church.