Zelensky's meeting with Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the Orthodox in Istanbul Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, met with Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and one of the prominent figures of the Orthodox world, in Istanbul on Saturday, October 31. The Patriarchate of Constantinople, based in Istanbul, recognized the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 2017; The decision was opposed by the Russian Orthodox Church and led to an escalation of the conflict between the two religious institutions.

Zelensky's meeting with Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the Orthodox in Istanbul Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, met with Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and one of the prominent figures of the Orthodox world, in Istanbul on Saturday, October 31. The Patriarchate of Constantinople, based in Istanbul, recognized the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 2017; The decision was opposed by the Russian Orthodox Church and led to an escalation of the conflict between the two religious institutions.