On February 27, 2025, during the 82nd session of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC—where working sessions are interwoven with international meetings to proclaim the truth regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine—members of the Permanent Synod, led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, met with the Honorable Greg Fergus, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav expressed deep gratitude for Canada’s support and solidarity with the suffering Ukrainian people, as well as for its acceptance of more than 300,000 Ukrainian refugees. While these individuals were granted the right to stay in Canada for three years, His Beatitude noted that for many, this period is now nearing its end, leaving them in a state of uncertainty regarding their future.

Speaker Greg Fergus assured His Beatitude and the members of the Synod that Canada has long respected the Ukrainian people, recognizing their immense contributions to the country over the past 150 years, including at the highest levels of government. He affirmed that the issue of extending the right of Ukrainians to remain in Canada would be resolved positively.

He also reaffirmed Canada’s continued political, humanitarian, and military assistance to Ukraine for as long as needed. “We have a clear understanding of who the aggressor is and who the victim is in this war,” he stated. Speaker Fergus expressed admiration for the resilience of the Ukrainian people, emphasizing that freedom comes at a cost and that Ukrainians are paying a high price for it.

At the conclusion of the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav presented Speaker Fergus with a fragment of an Iranian drone—used by Russia in nightly attacks on Ukraine’s capital—as a stark reminder of the deadly metal aimed at crushing Ukrainian hope. In addition, he gifted him a pysanka, a symbol of the Ukrainian people’s faith in the Resurrection, which renders them invincible.