Ukraine’s religious leaders and Munich 2.0

St. Michael's Square in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo: Unsplash)

Prior to the “Revolution of Dignity” that began on the Maidan, Kyiv’s Independence Square, in late 2013 and eventually gave birth to the country that has amazed the world with its courage, resilience, and ingenuity since the Russian invasion of February 2022, ecumenical dialogue and interreligious cooperation were not prominent features of the Ukrainian cultural landscape. The Maidan experience changed all that. An ecumenical and interreligious determination to reclaim the freedom that Ukraine sought when it auto-liberated itself from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1991 was demonstrated night after freezing night, on Independence Square, even when peaceful, prayerful demonstrators were gunned down by an oppressive regime colluding with Moscow. That new configuration of religious and moral witness has shown its strength during more than three years of a brutal war that would have crushed the resolve of lesser spirits.

Last month, grave problems of corruption among Ukrainian government officials and people associated with them came to light — thanks, it should be noted, to anti-corruption bodies sponsored by the Ukrainian state. These revelations deeply shocked Ukrainian society and caused political turmoil at a time when Russian missiles and drones were deliberately targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, in an effort to freeze the Ukrainians into submission this winter. At a moment of great tension, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) stepped into the breech and issued an appeal that is worth citing for its resolute realism, its political savvy, and its call to national moral renewal:

In a time … when our people are giving all their strength to defeat the aggressor, unprecedented manifestations of corruption are not only evidence of profound moral decline but also a betrayal … of public and state trust. Corruption is always especially dangerous at the highest levels of power and in key areas that ensure the state’s defensive capacity — and this is all the more true today. Such actions in effect aid the aggressor because they undermine Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and cause demoralization. We, representatives of Ukraine’s religious communities, receive with deep pain reports of this corruption scandal. … At a time when our soldiers shed their blood for freedom, corrupt abuse of power or influence becomes not only a criminal offense but is also perceived as an affront to the heroism of our defenders and to the sacrifice of the entire nation. … We emphasize: corruption is a sin, and during wartime it is not merely a violation of state laws but also a moral crime against our defenders and our entire people. It undermines social unity and demoralizes — things our enemies exploit. Therefore, the fight against corruption today is part of our shared struggle for independence, part of our resistance to Russian aggression. Understanding these challenges, we call on Ukrainian society to remain emotionally balanced and steadfast. A people whose best sons and daughters shed their blood, die on the battlefield, suffer in captivity, and give their last savings to support the Armed Forces have every right to be outraged. Yet this righteous indignation must be channeled into a constructive path — toward eradicating corruption in all its forms, including those found in our daily lives. At the same time, we caution that political confrontation and internal quarrels only weaken us and serve the aggressor’s interests. … We appeal to all citizens: let us not allow corruption to divide us or distract us from our main goal — the preservation of our state, its independence, and the achievement of victory over the enemy. Unity, mutual support, and a shared fight against evil are what save Ukraine today. Each person, in their place, must be honest, responsible, and ready to serve the truth, continuing their spiritual endeavor of resisting the external aggressor and internal corruption.

Less than a week after this impressive statement, the U.S. government released a multi-point “peace plan” that should cause anyone familiar with the history of the late 1930s to recoil in disgust and anger. Substitute “Donbas” for “Sudetenland,” “Witkoff” for “Halifax”, “Trump” for “Chamberlain”,  and “Putin” for “Hitler,” and you have a virtually complete replica of the disastrous Munich agreement of September 30, 1938: the country whose independence is being threatened is told to make concessions in the name of a “peace” that is not true peace, but only a sort-of truce: one that will last only until the aggressor decides to ingest the rest of the dismembered country.

The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Leaders, under tremendous pressure amidst war and national scandal, showed what true moral reasoning applied to public life looks like. Munich 2.0 displayed precisely the opposite. Those who concocted this mockery of a peace plan should be ashamed of themselves.