Metropolitan Hilarion, the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, said that the Pope is “speaking out about the Ukrainian topic in a very balanced way because he is aware of not only the present history of the conflict but also its pre-history, which goes back to the events of 2014”—a likely reference to the Maidan Revolution and subsequent annexation of Crimea.

Referring to a potential meeting Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, Metropolitan Hilarion added that “in the present complex political situation, a very thorough consideration should be given not only to issues concerning the substantial part of the meeting of the Pope and the Patriarch, but also issues concerning security, transportation and logistics.”