On December 7, 2021, a video summit between the presidents of Russia and the United States took place. At the request of Yekaterina Gracheva, the host of “The Church and the World TV programme,” chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion, shared his thoughts about the results of the talk between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden.
“I think it is good that the two presidents have talked,” said the hierarch. “They had a two-hour long conversation; and there were touched upon problems which are dividing our countries now and hindering to mend relations between the two nuclear powers.”
Metropolitan Hilarion is sure that constructive relations between the United States and Russia are of crucial importance, above all, for the security of the whole world. “On the one hand, nuclear powers have a potential for restraining the arms race, but on the other – if contradictions become too obvious, the arsenal at their disposal might be used. It is important not to allow either side to do it. Therefore, communication between the presidents is essential for agreements to be reached with the international situation taken into consideration.”
“Moreover, normal relations between the two countries have a direct impact on the situation in both of them affecting the well-being of people,” continued the archpastor.
Among other issues discussed by the participants in the video summit, Metropolitan Hilarion named the problem of the normalization of diplomats’ work, mentioning in particular the proposal of the Russian president to cancel all the existing restrictions on the functioning of the diplomatic missions.
“Many complications have emerged in the relations between the two countries. If the existing problems start to be settled, one cannot but only welcome the process,” concluded the DECR chairman.
DECR Communication Service/Patriarchia.ru