Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said at a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in the Fener (Phanar) district of Istanbul he will defend the independence of the church.

"Our common value is the life of a person. This is the most important thing for me, especially now after I became president of Ukraine. The authorities should not meddle in church affairs, and I will defend the independence of the church," Zelensky said, according to his press service.

The ecumenical patriarch again reaffirmed his support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and Zelensky thanked him for this.

According to Zelensky's press service, a visit to St. George's Cathedral in Istanbul is on the president's agenda.