OCU hierarch: Commandment to love enemies is not applicable to Russians

The head of the Cherkasy Diocese of the OCU, Ivan Yaremenko, said that the Gospel commandment to love one’s enemies does not apply to Russians. According to him, this commandment applies exclusively to the relationship between Ukrainians themselves and is aimed at resolving internal conflicts and preserving fraternal ties.

Yaremenko emphasized that in a situation where the enemy comes with weapons to kill, the commandment of love loses its force. He characterized such actions as «evil that can and must be stopped,» as its failure to do so could lead to its spread to Europe and the entire world. «Our mission is to stop this evil with weapons, destroying the enemy,» he said, adding that killing a Russian «is by no means a sin.»

Yaremenko also shared his experience of working with the military. He said that since 2014, he has been explaining to soldiers, including snipers, that killing the enemy is not a sin, but, on the contrary, can be a «sacred duty,» especially when a person is tormented by conscience after committing such actions. According to him, the task of church ministers is to reassure such people and explain to them the correct understanding of the situation.

We will remind, on February 7, 2025, while participating in the Ukrainian Prayer Breakfast in Washington, the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko made a speech in which he hinted at the need to restore Ukraine’s nuclear status. Dumenko complained that Ukraine had once abandoned nuclear weapons, which resulted in Russia’s invasion. Now, in his opinion, in order for the country to resist Russian aggression, it needs «the very sword» that will help Ukraine to survive.