“The War against Ukraine is also a War against France” — UGCC Head at an academic meeting at the Bernardine College of Paris
On October 29, an academic meeting was held at the Bernardine College of Paris, where His Beatitude Sviatoslav delivered a lecture on spirituality in wartime. The Head of the UGCC discussed the Church as a herald of hope and addressed Europe’s main challenges in the context of the war in Ukraine.
“Our people know that Russian occupation results in mass abductions of children, rape of women, forced conscription of men into the Russian army—who then kill their own brothers and sisters—and the imposition of a Russian fascist or ‘rashist’ (ruscist) identity on our youth,” said the Head of the UGCC. He stressed that European societies need to dispel certain myths about Ukraine. Russian propaganda presents Ukraine as a ‘failed state,’ a traumatized society without an authentic national identity, and as a threat to Russia, which has no genuine intention of negotiating peace and no commitment to achieving a just peace.”
In his lecture, His Beatitude Sviatoslav called for liberation from the fear that Russia constantly instills: “Russia trades in fear and horror. It threatens the Western population with a direct military conflict with NATO, intimidates with scenarios of a Third World War and nuclear attack, and fuels anxiety and panic in the West. Fear is a poor advisor. We should never act out of fear.”
Addressing the academic community, the Head of the UGCC also warned against the illusions of a ‘quick, cheap, convenient peace.’ “There may be a temptation to confuse an easy ceasefire with true peace. A hastily conceived and thoughtlessly implemented peace will turn out to be only a temporary truce, after which the aggressor will return more heavily armed, stronger, and more voracious than before.” His Beatitude Sviatoslav argued that “the seizure of Ukraine is just an ‘appetizer.’ The Baltic countries, the Caucasus, and Central Asia have no illusions that they could be next.”
He continued, “Neither the world’s democracies nor the Church should support a peace that legitimizes aggression as a method of seizing another country’s sovereign territory. This would be a fatal blow to global security, as it would embolden other potential aggressors. The more we ignore values and ethical principles by making concessions to the invader, the bolder the aggressor becomes and the less secure we are. ‘Building bridges’ with evil only fuels its delusions of grandeur. Therefore, global democracies need a new roadmap for a just peace that rejects the false logic of appeasing the aggressor,” said the Head of the UGCC.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav characterized as “politically reckless” the approach that some democratic countries take in their relations with totalitarian regimes. “A peace agreement is meaningful only when there is confidence that all signatories will fulfill their obligations,” he concluded.
The Head of the UGCC also urged against losing faith in Ukraine due to corruption scandals: “Russia seeks to portray Ukraine as the most corrupt country in Europe, if not the world. I do not deny the existence of corruption in Ukraine or minimise its impact on society. No society is immune to this disease. However, I am convinced that it is curable.” He emphasized that through “joint efforts” with democratic countries, Ukraine will be able to establish a new “social contract in the post-war future.”
In conclusion, the Head of the UGCC called on French intellectuals to help people view Ukraine beyond the clichés of Russian propaganda. “The war against Ukraine is a war against France, against all of Europe, and against the entire democratic order. Unfortunately, it is also your war. Ukraine needs your support not only for its own sake, but also for yours,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav concluded.
Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome
