"The territorial integrity of Ukraine must be recognized by the entire world," - Statement of the General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches

The statement of the CEC was shared by Dr. Andriy Smyrnov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, on Facebook.

"We condemn the illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. There is no justification, political, legal, or moral, for the invasion of an independent country. We stand with the people of Ukraine who seek to defend their territory. The territorial integrity of Ukraine must be recognized by the entire world.

We pray together for those who suffer from the consequences of this war. We mourn the countless loss of lives of women, men, young and old. We mourn the injuries, pain, and trauma. We mourn with those who are forced to leave their homes and loved ones. We 'weep with those who weep' (Romans 12:15-18)," the document states.

The General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches highly appreciated the efforts of churches and Christians who have offered humanitarian and spiritual assistance to the affected and continue to do so.

"The threat of nuclear weapons must be condemned. Human rights violations, even in the context of war, cannot be justified. Those who have initiated this war, who propagate lies and disinformation, must be held responsible for everything," the document states.

The General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches called on churches, governments, and civil society to support Ukraine's resistance to Russian aggression.

"The road to a future of peace will not be easy. Churches, especially those currently divided along political or regional lines, must not contribute to the conflict but be peacemakers, agents of justice and truth, and defenders of human rights," emphasized the statement of the General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches regarding the war in Ukraine.

It should be noted that the General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches includes 114 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, and Old Catholic Churches.

The theme of this year's 16th Assembly was "Under God's Blessing - Creating the Future." The hosts were the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Orthodox Church of Estonia (Ecumenical Patriarchate).

The General Assembly takes place every five years. The organization was founded in 1959, after the Second World War, to work for healing and peace.

Together with its ecumenical partners, the CEC represents over 380 million European citizens on the continent and seeks to be a voice of faith in dialogue with state policymakers.