Archbishop Daniel (Zelinsky) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA addressed the world leaders who gathered in Washington to participate in the NATO Summit marking the 75th anniversary of the Alliance. He called on the international community to take decisive action in response to crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine.
“Beloved in the Lord, the world leaders of more than 32 nations arrived to Washington DC for the NATO Summit during which they will mark the 75th anniversary of the Alliance. This milestone is not just a celebration of the past but a crucial opportunity to shape the future. At this moment, we must confront the urgent moral imperative that stands before us,” Archbishop Daniel said.
He drew attention to the brutality that is happening in Ukraine, in particular to the murders of innocent children and people in the “Okhmadit” hospital and the merciless bombing of Ukrainian cities. The archbishop called these actions genocide committed by the Russian government, crimes that cannot be kept silent.
The archbishop also expressed deep concern about the behavior and silence of the Russian Orthodox Church, which supports these crimes. He emphasized that a true spiritual structure should protect the innocent and not cooperate with barbarism and injustice.
“This betrayal of spiritual values demands our collective condemnation. I call upon the United Nations and the international community and the United States of America to take decisive and meaningful action,” the archbishop said.
He urged leaders at the NATO summit not only to speak, but to act decisively to prevent further atrocities, sending strong signals that the international community will not stand by and watch such atrocities.
“The blood of the innocent cries out for justice and we must respond with unwavering resolve. (…) What we fail to do now will profoundly affect the future of our children and generations to come. Russia must be stopped,” he stressed.
Archbishop Daniil called for unity in prayer and action aimed at creating a world where such atrocities are met with the full force of international law and moral outrage. He expressed hope for a bright future where the innocent are protected from devastating war and tyranny.
“May God protect the lives of the Ukrainian people and the blessed peace efforts of the civilized world of the 21st century,” Archbishop Daniel concluded his address.
The full text of Archbishop Daniel’s address:
Beloved in the Lord, the world leaders of more than 32 nations arrived to Washington DC for the NATO Summit during which they will mark the 75th anniversary of the Alliance. This milestone is not just a celebration of the past but a crucial opportunity to shape the future. At this moment, we must confront the urgent moral imperative that stands before us.
In Ukraine, the brutal slaughter of innocent children and people at the Okhmatdyt hospital alongside the relentless bombings of the Ukrainian epitomizes the depth of human cruelty. These are crimes against humanity committed by the Russian government, genocide, crimes that cannot and must not be met with silence.
Together with his Eminence, Metropolitan Antony, I am deeply appalled by the complicit silence and support of the Russian Orthodox Church in these murderous acts. A true spiritual institution should rise in defense of the innocent, yet we witness a troubling alignment with a barbarity and injustice.
This betrayal of spiritual values demands our collective condemnation. I call upon the United Nations and the international community and the United States of America to take decisive and meaningful action. The blood of the innocent cries out for justice and we must respond with unwavering resolve. The leaders at the NATO Summit must not only speak, but act decisively to prevent further slaughter, sending a powerful message that our society will not stand by and watch such atrocities.
What we fail to do now will profoundly affect the future of our children and generations to come. Russia must be stopped.
So let us unite in prayer and action, determined to forge the world where such horrors are met with full force of international law and moral outrage. Together we can bring light to the darkest corners of the world and ensure that the innocent are protected from the ravages of war and tyranny.
May God protect the lives of the Ukrainian people and the blessed peace efforts of the civilized world of the 21st century.
Memory eternal to all who have lost their lives.
