“We, Americans, are just like Ukrainians, and we must stand together”: American Christian leaders arrive in Ukraine

A delegation of leaders of U.S. Christian organizations has arrived in Ukraine, announcing their intention to support Ukrainian society through religious, social, and political initiatives. A press conference was held at Ukrinform. The visit is positioned as part of a spiritual diplomacy effort involving figures from the circle of former U.S. President Donald Trump. This was reported by Ukrinform.

According to Roman Chukhvitsky, president of the Global Alliance for Ukraine foundation, the delegation came to demonstrate “cooperation between the highest levels of state power and spiritual leaders, as well as biblical principles of governance”:
“These are spiritual leaders who want to support us and thank us for keeping faith in God as a top priority for Ukrainians,” he said.

The delegation is led by Dr. Jim Garlow, founder and CEO of the organization Well Versed. He stated:
“My message to political leaders will be about conscience and morality, and that we should be engaged in this struggle. Because we, Americans, are just like Ukrainians, and we must stand together to defend this country.”

Delegation member Gary Marx, president of Madison Strategies LLC and The Concord Fund, said he informs his American audience about the situation in Ukraine through his podcast. He addresses, in particular, the issues of clergy persecution and child abductions. The specific religious affiliation of the clergy in question was not clarified:
“I tell Americans about the persecution of priests by the Russian aggressor, and also about the children kidnapped by Russians who are trying to erase their identity,” he noted.

During the visit, meetings are planned with representatives of state authorities, local communities, and religious organizations in Kyiv and Lviv, as well as participation in an interfaith roundtable and a joint prayer.

It is worth recalling that international legal counsel for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Robert Amsterdam, strongly criticized a statement made by the head of the OCU, Epiphaniy Dumenko, during a meeting with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Ukraine Julie Davis. At that meeting, Dumenko claimed that all reports of persecution against the UOC were supposedly “Russian disinformation.”