The Russian Orthodox Church, by breaking off Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, has put itself on the road of self-isolation with the entire Orthodox world, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"With the obvious order of the Kremlin, the leadership of the aggressor country, the Russian church authorities fully dependent on it declared a breakup of Christian communion with the Mother Church of Constantinople. I am convinced that such a reaction from the spiritual and secular Russian authorities and the church leadership, fully dependent on the Russian authorities, confirms that we are on the right track. Just as Russia opposed itself to the whole world in matters of Russian aggression in the east of our state, the illegal annexation of Crimea, its position on Abkhazia, on Ossetia, on Transdniestria, now, unfortunately, the Russian Church has also put itself on the path of self-isolation and conflict with the whole world Orthodoxy," Poroshenko said at a meeting with the Exarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate in Kyiv on Tuesday.

In early September, the Ecumenical Patriarchate appointed Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon from the United States and Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton from Canada as part of preparations for the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine as its exarchs in Kyiv. The exarchs arrived in Ukraine soon after this decision was made.