European evangelicals have sided with Ukraine in its current conflict with Russia, saying that they are “compelled by love to stand in the gap for the vulnerable and oppressed.”
In a statement, the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) said that they are praying for “sustainable peace and justice”.
The statement comes just days ahead of the third anniversary of what Russia calls its “special military operation” and what the West labels a “full scale invasion”.
US President Donald Trump has initiated peace talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The process has been criticised for its apparent exclusion of Ukraine itself.
The EEA described Russia’s actions as “unprovoked and unexplained” and said they “lament that Russian bombs, drones, tanks and troops remain in a territory that does not belong to them”.
In their long list of lamentations the EEA mentioned the innumerable tragedies that have befallen Ukraine in the last three years, including families torn apart, people forced to flee their home and significant levels of death and destruction.
“We lament that that there remains more propaganda than truth. We will always stand for the truth and lament whenever it is tossed aside for someone’s agenda,” the EEA said.
“We deeply lament that the name of God has been used to justify invasion, expansion and constant oppression.”
This last comment appears to be a reference to the Russian Orthodox Church, which has declared the current conflict to be a “Holy War” against the “Satanic” Western world.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has previously been warned by the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, that he risks becoming “Putin’s altar boy”.
The EEA concluded their statement by saying that, despite all the suffering, they remained hopeful that a way to peace and reconciliation could be found.
“We pray for eventual reconciliation and understanding for the way forward. We will not stop praying. We are determined and compelled by love to stand in the gap for the vulnerable and oppressed. Three years is enough. We pray for sustainable peace and justice,” it said.
