There is certainly an overwhelming desire for peace in Ukraine — especially among Ukrainians. It was their country that was unjustly invaded. Their cities are being bombed. Their soldiers and civilians are paying the ultimate price to defend freedom from tyranny. Their children are traumatized daily by air raid sirens and the horrors of war. Ukrainians long for peace, but they also seek justice and security.
Simply ending the conflict without addressing why it began in the first place — and without ensuring it won’t happen again — is not enough.
Consider the Christian understanding of the Gospel and salvation. Repentance is a critical step in our relationship with Jesus Christ. For there to be lasting peace between God and humanity, men and women must humble themselves, confess their sin, and turn from their wicked ways. That is when God responds with His overwhelming grace (2 Chron. 7:14). When Jesus preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God, He said, “Repent and believe” (Mark 1:15). Repentance means turning away from a current way of being and realigning with God’s plan for flourishing. Western Christians must recognize that some version of this is necessary to end the conflict in Ukraine in a way that holds perpetrators accountable and protects the victims.
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A new narrative has emerged in recent weeks, suggesting that Ukraine provoked Russia into war or could have done something to prevent it. This is simply not true.
In 1991, Ukraine democratically chose independence from the Soviet Union. In 1994, through the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine surrendered its nuclear arsenal — one of the largest in the world — to promote regional and global peace. However, when Ukrainians continued to reject Russian interference in their government, Russia responded by invading Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014 and instigating conflict in the eastern regions. The world stood by and watched Russia annex Crimea — we let it happen. The full-scale invasion in 2022 was shocking, but not surprising. If Russia faced no real consequences in 2014, why wouldn’t they attempt to destabilize and seize all of Ukraine?
Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” If we tolerate injustice in one part of the world, it will inevitably manifest in our own lives with devastating consequences. In the past, North America was relatively shielded from global conflicts, protected by two great oceans. But in today’s interconnected world, we are more directly impacted than ever before. When war and injustice erupt in Ukraine, Palestine, or Israel, they are closer to us than we might think.
Evangelical Christians are proud defenders of life. Our belief in the sanctity of life rightly fuels our passionate opposition to abortion. But it is not just defenseless fetuses who need protection. We cannot turn away from entire communities devastated by war — especially when that war is waged with blatant disregard for civilian life.
In the fall of 2024, I was in the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine, when a glide bomb struck a residential apartment building. When my team arrived, hundreds of firefighters and first responders were battling the flames and searching for survivors. We were told that moments earlier, people had been seen jumping from the burning building. My mind immediately flashed back to 9/11. I was in high school then, and I will never forget the fires engulfing the Twin Towers, the falling bodies, and the overwhelming loss of life. Ukrainians have been experiencing their own 9/11 over and over again.
Yes, this war must end. It must end as soon as possible — but it must also end justly, in a way that ensures lasting peace.
Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Our brothers and sisters in Ukraine are praying for peace while placing their faith in God. That faith has given them the strength to endure these three years and to serve their nation with courage and humility. War can take many things from us, but it cannot take away the victory that is already ours in Christ Jesus.
This is a critical moment to pray for Ukraine. But prayer alone is not enough — we must also take action. When Nehemiah led the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, the people worked with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. Likewise, we must pair our prayers with meaningful action. With the recent suspension of USAID funding, the work of grassroots organizations like The Renewal Initiative is even more critical. Please continue to stand with the people of Ukraine as they wait for a resolution to this conflict. Even after the war ends, there will be years of rebuilding lives and restoring dignity.
The way we show up now matters. Our response will be part of our witness. As Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
Andrew Moroz is a Ukrainian-American pastor and the founder of The Renewal Initiative.
