Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the meeting between Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Pope Francis. This was stated by the “priest” of the OCU Yakov Krotov in an interview with Radio Svoboda.

“Yes, of course, Putin was the initiator of the meeting. <…> So this is, of course, part of Putin’s foreign policy maneuvers,” Krotov said.

He also stated that “the Moscow Patriarchate is now in a one-sided split with world Orthodoxy.”