On February 24, 2022, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation authorized a “special military operation” in Ukraine for the purposes of demilitarization and “denazification.” In recent weeks, we have witnessed Putin attempt to justify this attack on the pretext of a gross distortion of Ukrainian history and unsubstantiated allegations of genocide in Donbas. As of this writing, Russia has attacked Ukraine in multiple regions spanning the entire country, far outside of Donbas. The Russian attack has resulted in casualties and has terrorized Ukrainian citizens. Putin’s impunity extends beyond Ukraine, as he has threatened anyone who attempts to intervene with military retaliation. Putin accused the Ukrainian government of preparing a crackdown on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and yet it is his invasion that has endangered the lives of members of this Church, along with all citizens of Ukraine.
We the undersigned represent clergy, faithful, scholars, students, and fellows of the Orthodox Church in particular and Eastern Christianity in general. We condemn Putin’s malicious attack on Ukraine and call upon world leaders – political and religious – to bring him to justice for his crimes. We express our solidarity with citizens of Ukraine of all ethnic and religious backgrounds and express our sincere sorrow for those who have lost loved ones during the attacks. May their memories be eternal.
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