Michael Cherenkov says he believes America should continue helping Ukraine in the war with Russia. Cherenkov, born in Russia and raised and educated — including a Ph.D. — in Ukraine, served for 20 years in Christian ministry in post-Soviet nations before moving to Wheaton, Illinois, to serve as executive director of field ministries for Mission Eurasia.
While still involved in global mission projects with specific focus on Ukraine, Cherenkov today is senior pastor of Revival Baptist Church, Vancouver, Washington, where about 420 people attend Sunday services.
“Putin wants to restore the Soviet empire,” said Cherenkov, speaking with The Baptist Paper from his Vancouver office. He noted this would include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Ukraine became the first of the nations Russia attacked as part of a plan to re-acquire all the lands of the former Soviet Union, he added.
“Ukraine was independent, democratic and free,” Cherenkov continued. “Other countries — Central Asia [the “stans” countries] plus Belarus, Georgia, Armenia — were already under strong Russian influence in terms of economic ties and military presence. Azerbaijan was protected by Turkey. Baltic countries entered NATO. And Moldova was protected by Ukraine geographically and politically.
“So Ukraine, as a freedom beacon and a gateway to Europe, was the main target,” Cherenkov said.
Ukraine, the largest country in Europe, lost its Eastern provinces, the Crimean peninsula and its Black Sea ports in 2014, he said. This happened, Cherenkov added, because Western allies “were so scared by Russia they asked, ‘Please don’t fight. Just give up.'”
‘Just to survive’
Russia is feared because it has nuclear weapons, and now alliances with China, North Korea, Iran and state-sponsored terrorism. If Ukrainians are unable to stop the Russians, the other Eastern European countries will fall, “first Baltic countries, and then Poland,” Cherenkov said.
For many Russians, the war in Ukraine is a holy war, he noted. Russians believe Western Christianity is far removed from the “pure” Russian Orthodox Church.
“They blame the Reformation [led by Martin Luther in 1517] for corrupting Christianity,” Cherenkov explained. “To defend Russian Orthodoxy and its lands, the Russian army, mercenaries and security services target evangelicals in the occupied territories of Ukraine because they believe any Baptist in Ukraine is kind of a Western spy.
“They insist, if you were born Russian you have to be Orthodox. If you are Baptist, Pentecostal or Catholic, you are a traitor and enemy of the people.”
Ukraine needs the help of America, NATO and other western allies just to survive, Cherenkov insisted, then to protect others from the global nuclear Armageddon, as “Russians have nukes and love playing them.”
“They threaten the whole world. … In order to survive, you have to push back, and you can’t survive alone. Ukraine needs full support from Western allies and maybe even some peacemakers [who protect civilians and actively prevent conflict] and of course NATO. But Europeans are still so scared, even after Russia crossed the last red lines. They were simply not prepared for such a scary scenario.”
Cherenkov made a final plea for additional help for Ukraine from America, NATO and other Western allies.
“Ukraine fights not just for itself but for the whole western world, because Russia wouldn’t stop in Ukraine.”
