Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called his trip to Poland to meet Ukrainian refugees a "shocking experience. He said this in his interview with df.news.
"I saw fear in the eyes of the children of war. Agony and pain are expressed on the faces of women who have left husbands and sons. I saw sadness in the eyes of the elderly because they were forced to leave their homeland and settle elsewhere. All our brothers, and those who died in the "theater" of the war, are not a footnote to the long list of consequences of the invasion of Ukraine. They are the main characters of this war, which contradicts every understanding of morality and law. It was a shocking experience, and I would like to express my gratitude once again to the Honorable President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, the Government, and the people of this country for their interest, love, and warmth towards refugees from Ukraine, "said the Patriarch.
He called the war "the most disgusting and unacceptable result of a destructive and deteriorating situation that keeps humanity hostage." He added that russia's actions would be evaluated by the correspondent institutions and the history.
"What is happening in Ukraine is a tragedy; it is a shame that stigmatizes those who caused it, those who, as it turned out, have no fear of God. I would not like to comment on the attitude and choice of the russian political leadership, which is judged by the results, and I am sure that in the very near future, they will be evaluated by other people and institutions, and, of course, the history itself; the pages of the history are being written with the blood of the innocent victims of this war," - said Patriarch Bartholomew.
The Ecumenical Patriarch visited Poland on 28 March 2022, where he met Ukrainian refugees.