Only an undivided Ukraine will be able to achieve its strong peace. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during his participation in the National Prayer Breakfast.
Also attending the event were President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal, U.S. senators and members of Congress, foreign representatives, government officials, MPs, Ukrainian military personnel, public figures, and clergy.
The Head of State noted that the Prayer Breakfast brought together in one hall people from different churches, with different political views, professions, and nationalities.
“Important events like this underscore that any differences between us do not matter when it comes to what matters most. Truth. Peace. And how prayer, in difficult moments, unites us all. Because in a dugout under guided aerial bomb attacks, or in a hospital corridor waiting for the outcome of a loved one’s surgery, in captivity or in the subway at 3 a.m. during Russian strikes, people speak to God in much the same way, all alike. They all ask for what matters most. “God, protect us. Bring them back. Give us the strength to endure all this. Let us defeat death. Let us live to see the morning,” the President noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that today marks the 1,642nd day of the full-scale war. According to the President, Russia is pursuing several objectives in this war, one of which is to make faith a matter of permission – to have the Russian ruler decide who in Ukraine is allowed to gather for prayer and which church may exist.
The Head of State thanked Ukrainian chaplains who pray for the defenders and stand beside them in the most difficult moments of their lives, as well as all Ukrainian clergy who stand shoulder to shoulder with the country in wartime.
“Parishes have become warming centers. Church basements have become shelters. Sunday schools have become classrooms for our Ukrainian children. This is not often mentioned in the news. But this is the strength of faith that helps people, that helps all of us, all Ukrainians,” the President noted.
The Head of State also recognized those who help Ukraine fight the lies spread by Russia. In particular, the bell of the Church of the Tithes, restored together with Ukrainian and European historians, museum professionals, and Royal Foundry of the Netherlands, bears witness to Ukraine’s history of more than a thousand years.
The President noted that many Ukrainians have lost loved ones or family members and therefore have a personal score to settle with Russia and its evil. Those present observed a moment of silence in memory of those who gave their lives so that Ukraine could live and those killed by Russia.
“I want to say honestly: it is not easy for Ukrainians today – it is difficult. There is accumulated pain, there is accumulated exhaustion. But at the same time, we preserve the light within us, we preserve our humanity, our mutual support, and such an important foundation of national unity – the ability to forgive one another. Forgiving is not a weakness. It is an important condition, because only an undivided Ukraine will be able to achieve its strong peace,” the Head of State emphasized. The President thanked the foreign representatives for their support and prayers.
“But allow me to ask one more thing. Please, never look away. The war has been going on for a long time, and the greatest danger now is not fatigue at the front. No. It is the world getting used to it. Speak more about Ukraine – I very much ask you. Do more for Ukraine. Visit Ukrainians whenever possible,” the President urged the attendees.
The President asked everyone to pray for three important things: for those in captivity, for those in battle, and for peace for Ukraine – that it may come.
More than 1,500 people took part in the event, including 670 foreign guests from 17 countries.
