Metropolitan Onufriy has referred to
Ukraine's aspirations to join the
European Union as a "tragedy".
[6]
Onufriy has voiced his support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
[7] Onufriy refused to stand up when the
Ukrainian parliament honoured the Ukrainian fighters of the
War in Donbass (against pro-Russian unionists), but later commented about it.
[6][8] In August 2014 Onufriy stated that there were no priests in the Ukrainian Church who supported separatism.
[9] His Church has mostly abstained from commenting on the
2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine.
[9]
In February 2016 he said that "in a situation of continued military confrontation in eastern Ukraine, we emphasize that we unfailingly stand on the side of peace and support all peace initiatives of the Ukrainian authorities".
[7]
On the first day of the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Onufriy called the war "a disaster" stating that "The Ukrainian and Russian peoples came out of the Dnieper Baptismal font, and the war between these peoples is a repetition of the sin of Cain, who killed his own brother out of envy. Such a war has no justification either from God or from people."[10] He also expressed "our special love and support to our soldiers who stand guard and protect and defend our land and our people. May God bless and cherish them!".[11]