There is already an autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, whose head sits in the Assembly of the Russian Orthodox Church (not vice versa). Patriarch Bartholomew has now, in violation of church canons, elevated two separate schismatic sects, lead by deposed clerics, to be a new autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine. He himself acknowledged their illegitimate status but two years ago, but since then "something's changed." Whether these two sects will now manage to work together has yet to be seen.
Thank you for the clarification. As I said this topic is a bit outside my field of knowledge. But I knew the word autocephaly :-) so I thought I understood the gist of the story. Thank you I appreciate your filling us in on more of the backstory.
Do you think it has more to do with Russian-Ukrainian politics, or is it a power play maneuver to increase the number of Synods in the Eastern Orthodox Church? Do they vote on such matters or is it up to discretion of the Patriarch of Constantinople?