Dumenko Predicts Russia Could Break Apart After Defeat

BERLIN — Epiphany Dumenko, primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), suggested that the eventual defeat of Russia in the war against Ukraine could lead to the collapse of the current Russian government and potentially the fragmentation of the Russian Federation, while also predicting that the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) could ultimately recognize the OCU.

The remarks were made during a public panel discussion, "Faith, War and Responsibility – Socio-Ethical Perspectives of Ukrainian Christian Leaders," held June 25 at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Academy in Berlin.

Addressing the possibility of future reconciliation between Ukrainians and Russians, Dumenko argued that meaningful dialogue would only become possible after what he described as the defeat of Russia's current war aims. He suggested that such a defeat could lead to the fall of the Kremlin government and even the disintegration of Russia, drawing a comparison to the collapse of the Soviet Union after the Cold War.

"Without the total control from the Kremlin that exists now, the ROC will probably recognize the OCU," Dumenko said. "It will be forced to do this, because the canonical church order and the good of Orthodoxy require it."

The OCU primate also reiterated his church's position regarding the UOC, which he referred to as the "Metropolia of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine." He stated that the OCU had repeatedly invited Metr. Onuphry and the UOC hierarchy to engage in dialogue but claimed that these appeals had been ignored. At the same time, he asserted that more than 2,000 communities had voluntarily joined the OCU.

Dumenko further claimed that those remaining within the UOC continue to hope for a Russian victory and a restoration of conditions that existed during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych. He maintained that the only viable future for Orthodoxy in Ukraine is the unification of all Orthodox Christians under the OCU.

The panel discussion also addressed the humanitarian activities of Ukrainian churches during the war, the role of religious organizations in maintaining social cohesion, and the recent strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which Dumenko described as a deliberate attempt to damage a religious shrine and demoralize Ukrainian society.

Previously, the UOJ reported that, standing beside Dumenko, MP Huz threatened UOC monasteries from the ambo.