Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow at the Kremlin.
According to a report on the Moscow Patriarchate’s official website, Putin awarded Theophilos the Order of Friendship “for his significant contribution to strengthening friendship, cooperation and spiritual ties with Russia”.
Theophilos thanked Putin for his “unwavering support for the preservation of holy sites in the Holy Land, stability and peace in Jerusalem and throughout the Middle East”.
He also referred to “resolving the situation on the Russian Federation’s western borders” and said he was “ready to offer his assistance in achieving peace between brothers”.
We previously reported that US President Donald Trump had endorsed the idea of involving Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem in mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has invited the Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem to a fraternal meeting on 30 November, the patronal feast day of the Church of Constantinople.
We previously reported that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was seeking to curb the activities of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem by inviting the heads of the ancient patriarchates to a fraternal meeting. Theophilos has recently been positioning himself as a potential mediator in efforts to resolve the Ukrainian issue.
As LF reported, Russia directly funds projects undertaken by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, while Jerusalem is one of the Kremlin’s main centres of influence. This situation could harm the State of Israel.
Theophilos III has led the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem since 2005. He met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi in 2013 and at the Kremlin in 2019. In November 2025, Putin awarded the patriarch the Order of Friendship “for his significant contribution to strengthening friendship, cooperation and spiritual ties with the Russian Federation”.
The patriarch has also maintained ties with the Russian Orthodox Church and initiated a meeting of the primates of Orthodox churches in Jordan in 2020. In 2024, he criticised the Ukrainian authorities’ decision to restrict the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has ties to the Moscow Patriarchate.
