Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Byzantine-rite Ukrainian Catholic Church met with his Orthodox counterpart, Metropolitan Epiphanius, on March 23, to discuss how they could cooperate during the current war.

“The participants of the meeting, once again categorically condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine,” a press statement released after the meeting reported.

Metropolitan Epiphanius heads the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that broke with Moscow and has been recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Archbishop Shevchuk, who sought the meeting, said that he hoped for stronger ties with the Orthodox, and “the fate and future of Ukraine depend on the level of this cooperation.”