Honorary Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) Filaret has congratulated Volodymyr Zelensky on his election as Ukrainian president.
“The Ukrainian people at the presidential election demonstrated high standards of democracy and chose you as head of the Ukrainian state. On the day of the inauguration, the Lord will place great responsibility on you for the fate of every citizen and the country as a whole,” Filaret said on Facebook on Monday.
Filaret reminded the future president of Ukraine that he would take the oath “before God and people” to defend the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, protect the country and welfare of the Ukrainian people, defend the rights and freedoms of citizens, comply with the Constitution of Ukraine and laws, fulfill duties in the interests of all compatriots and improve the reputation of the country internationally.
“In this regard, I want to sincerely congratulate you on your victory and express the hope that you will be conscious of the trust of our people and continue the state, pro-European and Euro-Atlantic course of Ukraine. Ukrainians defended the values mentioned above on Maidan and also protect them during the war with the Russian aggressor,” Filaret said.
“The overwhelming majority of our fellow citizens cast their votes for you, because they strive for peace and a more decisive fight against corruption. Corruption is a terrible misfortune that has eroded our state for years and undermined the trust of not only its citizens, but also international partners. I hope you will have forces to radically change the situation and start a real fight against this evil,” Filaret said.
Patriarch Filaret also stressed the importance of maintaining unity and national consolidation in view of ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“I want to note that Ukrainians are a very peace-loving nation, which is confirmed by a unique fact in world history – voluntary renunciation of nuclear weapons. But we do not need peace in captivity. The Lord created man free. And we should cherish freedom,” Filaret said.
As reported, Zelensky has won 73.23 percent of the vote and Petro Poroshenko has received 24.45 percent of the vote, Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said on Tuesday morning, after counting 99.87 percent of the ballot papers cast in the April 21 second round of the presidential election.
