Ukrainian Christians’ prayers for “a just and lasting peace” seem a distant hope, but God remains in control, said pastor Igor Bandura, vice president of the All-Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Christian-Baptists.
“It’s a faith journey from the reality of where we are to the ideal of God’s kingdom of justice and righteousness,” he said.
Bandura was in the United States to attend Ukrainian Week events in Washington, D.C., including the National Prayer Breakfast and the International Religious Freedom Summit, and to advocate for his homeland.
His visit to the United States began prior to the third anniversary of Russia’s escalated invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and the 11th anniversary of Russia’s occupation and annexation of Crimea.
Continued prayers
It also coincided with President Donald Trump’s call for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept a quick end to the war with Russia and with high-level negotiations in Saudi Arabia involving U.S. and Russian diplomats — but not representatives from Ukraine. Ukrainian Christians are “not happy” but are “patiently waiting” to see how negotiations develop once Ukraine is included at the table, Bandura said.
“This is just the beginning of negotiations. We continue to pray for President Trump, just as we pray for President Zelensky,” Bandura said.
“We pray for a value-based approach to negotiations, not just a business approach. … As Christians, we pray for God’s will to be done, and we pray for moral leadership.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Ken Camp and originally published by Texas’ Baptist Standard.
