As US Sidelines Ukraine from Peace Talks, Ministry Points to 'Faith Under Russian Terror'

In the fallout from the talks between U.S. and Russian officials about starting negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and President Trump are in a war of words after Ukraine was left out of the meeting.
 
On Tuesday, Trump appeared to blame Ukraine for the war with Russia and said it was time for the country to hold new elections. Zelenskyy says Trump is "living in a disinformation bubble" and has accused the White House of trying to weaken his country. 

Trump said Zelenskyy should have made a deal with Moscow to avoid conflict in the first place. He also expressed disappointment that Ukrainian officials complained they didn't have a seat at the negotiating table. "Today I heard, well, we weren't invited. Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal," Trump said.

While the U.S.-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia laid the foundation for negotiating a peace deal, Mission Eurasia warns that Russia has specifically targeted Ukrainian pastors and churches, issuing a report called "Faith Under Russian Terror."
 
Mission Eurasia's President Sergey Rakhuba said, "Whatever you see in that report. And that's hundreds of churches seized, destroyed, pastors arrested. You know, so there is no room for any other faith-based organization or church except the Russian Orthodox Church. It's critical to pay attention to it."
 
After three years of war, Ukrainian evangelical leaders, like Rakhuba, remain steadfast in urging Americans to support Ukraine. One pastor tells CBN News while the war has tested the faith of many, it has also made it stronger.
 
Pastor Dmytro Kolesnyk of Hosanna Baptist Church in Lviv said, "Many Christians realized that their faith was not as strong as they thought. We lost part of our members who left the country, but another part understands that their faith is growing during this problem… Many people understand that Christ is real today."
 
Pastor Kolesnyk calls for a just peace – one that protects freedom, faith, and sovereignty. He credits American churches for helping Ukrainian congregations survive the war – grateful he's still able to freely worship God without fear or persecution.
 
"The same Russian Orthodox Church, they are prohibit(ed), but it's not about religious persecutions. Sorry, we have united... unity. We have peace between our confessions, and we have big freedom in our country. Big religions free," Pastor Kolesnyk said.
 
In addition to this persecution, the sense of betrayal here runs deep. This stems from Russia's violation of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which led to Ukraine giving up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for assurances of territorial integrity and political independence. Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea broke that deal and casts a shadow over whatever peace agreement might result from U.S.-led talks.
 
"Ukrainians are expecting a lot more from the U.S. so that their country is not used as a bargaining chip," Rakhuba said. "There is a people there, 40 million lives, and if we don't defend them as we promised, if we don't help them in their fight for their freedom and sovereignty, of course Putin will not stop at any of this so-called 'peace talks.'"
 
The Saudi Arabia talks also included a potential summit between Presidents Trump and Putin. While the outcome of the negotiation remains uncertain, Ukraine's evangelicals maintain their unwavering faith in God remains strong.

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