Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew signed an agreement on Saturday to recognize an independent Ukrainian church, sparking Moscow's anger.
The Patriarchate of Constantinople decided in mid-October to recognize an independent Orthodox Church in Ukraine, in a resolution ending 332 years of Russian religious tutelage.
The angry Russian church had earlier decided to sever all ties with Constantinople.
During his visit to Turkey, which is scheduled to hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Poroshenko signed an agreement setting out the stages of formal recognition of the independence of the Ukrainian Church.
Poroshenko expressed his gratitude "on behalf of the Ukrainian people" to Patriarch Bartholomew, and wrote on Twitter "This is a historic day."
The issue is expected to play a key role in the presidential election in March 2019 in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Relations Minister Bishop Hilarion said Saturday that the signing of the agreement was part of a series of decisions taken by Bartholomew, "beyond the scope of the church and exclusively related to the political sphere."
