Ukrainian Ambassador Meets Abp. Georgios to Advance the OCU's Presence in Cyprus
Ukrainian and Cypriot church leaders met in Cyprus to deepen interchurch and diplomatic ties and discuss the establishment of an OCU "spiritual center," in violation of the Tomos of Constantinople.
NICOSIA, CYPRUS — In an announcement made on Facebook, a high-level meeting aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties between Ukraine and Cyprus was held on December 18, 2025, at the residence of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus. Ukraine’s Ambassador to Cyprus, Sergii Nizhynskyi, together with Archpriest Petro Zuev, chaplain of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) mission on the island, met with Abp. Georgios of New Justiniana and All Cyprus.
Discussions focused on advancing Ukrainian-Cypriot ecclesiastical relations, including an official invitation for Abp. Georgios to visit Ukraine to meet with President Zelensky. The parties also reflected on the recent visit of Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides to Ukraine, with Abp. Georgios expressing interest in meeting Zelensky in Cyprus.
Special attention was given to plans to establish an OCU "Spiritual Center" in Nicosia. Abp. Georgios also blessed joint cultural initiatives and renewed dialogue on authorizing regular OCU worship in the Cypriot capital. While the OCU uses the term "spiritual center," it can be inferred from past instances that this "spiritual center" will be a church. Per the Tomos granted by Constantinople, all Ukrainian parishes outside the borders of the Ukrainian state must be directly under Constantinople. This attempt to establish a Ukrainian church outside of Ukraine under OCU control is the latest in a series of OCU violations. Met. Sawa, for example, filed a formal complaint to the Ecumenical Patriarchate regarding the violation of the Tomos in Poland by OCU "hierarchs."
Earlier this year, the UOJ reported on a confrontation between Abp. Elpidophoros and the OCU's Dumenko over the revelation of several OCU parishes being illegally established in America.
