These are the transcripts from calls I had live from Ukraine during the Russian invasion in 2014. A little background. Ukraine has been subjugated by Russia for much of its history. Pastor Vitally discusses the History of Russia and Ukraine going back to the 1700’s. In this interview he addresses the claims Putin is/was ousting Nazi’s, Bio Labs, Russian Orthodox Church, Zelensky Election, Ukrainian Needs, Putin threats of Nuclear Conflict and Powerful Prayer at the end for Putin, Xi, Raisi and all world leaders and for Ukraine and her people.
July 31, 2014 Russian Invasion of Crimea Christian Patriotism in Ukraine Russian Lies About the Church Persecution
But if we want to be free, we’re going to pay this price, (11:49) and this is what is happening right now. (11:50) Fighting for freedom
Oh my. (18:51) You know, we cannot live our Christian life only in church.
(18:55) You are a Christian every day, every hour of each day. (18:59) So if we cut ourselves from all other responsibilities in society, (19:06) like being a good steward of what God has given us, (19:10) being a good citizen, being a good governor if you are a Christian governor, (19:15) being a good business person, being a good policeman, being a good president, (19:23) if we cut Christian life out of that, (19:26) then what is our Christian life really is? (19:31) The darkness immediately comes to the places where light goes away from. (19:36) It is immediately happening.
(19:38) There cannot be anything else, either darkness or light. (19:42) So now, I’m sorry, in Ukraine we suffered from darkness all the Soviet Union time, (19:48) and now the last 20 years of freedom from Soviet Union. (19:52) We still suffered all this time.
(19:54) Now people, even unbelievers, they have light in their eyes. (19:58) Like, come on, guys, we can do things. (20:01) Our army is right now fighting terrorists.
Full Transcript:
July 31, 2014 Russian Invasion of Crimea Christian Patriotism in Ukraine Russian Lies About the Church Persecution
Malaysian Airliner Shot Down by Russian Terrorists posing as rebels in Ukraine
Pastor Greg
Pastor Vitally
Religious freedom in Ukraine versus Russia
(3:12) Vitalik, welcome. (3:14) Hey, hello, Pastor Greg. (3:16) And so good to be with you again.
(3:19) It’s great to have you with me again. (3:21) So, let’s talk some updates of what’s going on. (3:25) Things continue to be rather heated there in the Ukraine.
(3:29) The situation is certainly not reducing, (3:32) even though perhaps the news cycles are cycling off to some degree, (3:38) at least here in the United States. (3:40) But it’s still a very serious situation. (3:43) What are some of the key situations that we’re looking at right now? (3:49)
(7:11) We are looking forward to hear their report on the observations, (7:16) what they will find there. (7:18) Because as I understand, there are a few bodies still not found. (7:24) And it is going to be probably, you know, (7:27) it will be a lot of work to find those bodies (7:29) because the spread of the pieces of the airplane was in a huge territory.
(7:37) So the bodies will be in this circle. (7:40) So they are allowed to come there. (7:43) I don’t know who is protecting them, (7:44) who is giving them the guarantees that they will be there secure.
(7:49) Because previously the people who are backed by Russia, terrorists, (7:54) they were in that territory. (7:56) I saw some videos how they treat international representatives there. (8:00) And this is just a disgrace, I’m sorry, (8:04) when they are treating them horribly, limiting them, (8:08) not letting them step off the road by which they came to the site, (8:11) saying you cannot go to the field and touch anything.
(8:14) You just stay here. (8:15) Whatever you see, that’s your information for today. (8:18) That’s it.
Get away from here. (8:20) Right now I understand they are there. (8:22) We are looking forward to hear their report.
(8:27) What is the Ukrainian people’s response to what Russia is doing right now? (8:32) What’s the general population’s attitude towards what’s happening? (8:42) It is difficult to explain with few words. (8:46) Okay, that’s all right. (8:48) Majority of people, they understand what Russia is doing.
(8:54) Majority of people understand that Russia is supporting military activities (9:00) on the east of Ukraine. (9:02) Russia occupied Crimea and holding it in its hands. (9:06) Ukrainians understand that for Russia it is very good for Russia (9:11) to have weak Ukraine next to it.
(9:14) Because if Ukraine will get free from Russia, (9:17) Ukraine will grow financially, politically, legislatively. (9:22) Ukraine will grow. (9:23) And to have such a strong opponent that came out of the same Soviet Union (9:29) and outgrew Russia, it is not very good for Putin.
(9:32) He wants to have Ukraine pretty small and weak. (9:36) Majority of people understand this situation. (9:39) But there are some people, there are less of them, (9:42) but they still live in their heads together with Russia, (9:47) still living in their heads in the old Soviet Union, (9:52) where Russia was our older brother, and they’re smarter, (9:56) they’re better developed, so better stay with them.
(9:59) We will never be able to build the same strong economy like Russia did, (10:03) so let’s stick with Russian brother. (10:07) That’s kind of their attitude. (10:09) Those people who are in the east of Ukraine, (10:13) now they understand that Russian terrorists that are there, (10:17) they do not bring any hope for them.
(10:20) They are suffering from the same weapons, same military activities, (10:24) both from Ukrainian army and from terrorist army. (10:27) Now they’re saying, we don’t want any army here. (10:30) Wherever Ukrainians go, Russians go, we just want to have peace.
(10:34) And I understand. (10:36) But the solution will not come if armies go away. (10:40) Peace will not be there.
(10:41) Russia will still creep in and take over these territories. (10:46) So we never understood this completely, (10:51) this saying that you guys in America have, (10:54) that freedom is never free. (10:55) Right now we are paying, I believe, this price to have our freedom.
(11:01) We never had it since Soviet Union. (11:03) We always were dependent on Russia, what Russia will say, (11:06) what Putin is going to say, how they will act with gas, (11:09) how they will act with all imports of Ukrainian goods into Russia. (11:15) We’ve always depended on that.
(11:18) And also depended on who is going to be sitting in the chair of our president, (11:24) because Putin and Moscow were even ruling those things, (11:32) who will be in charge of Ukraine. (11:34) Now we understand we’re breaking these ties, (11:36) and these ties Russia doesn’t want to break. (11:39) Russia is trying to remain connected to Ukraine and affect Ukraine.
(11:45) But if we want to be free, we’re going to pay this price, (11:49) and this is what is happening right now. (11:50) Fighting for freedom. (11:52) Yeah.
(11:52) Fighting for your freedom. (11:53) Exactly. (11:54) We’re going to take a quick break, folks.
(11:56) When I come back, Vitalik will be with me. (11:58) He’s live from the Ukraine, (12:02) and we’re going to get some discussions with regards to some of the strategies (12:06) that are taking place, (12:07) some of the warnings that they’re getting from the Ukrainian government. (12:10) We’re also going to talk about the religious aspect, (12:13) the Christian aspect of what’s going on.
(12:15) What are the liberties that they have in the Ukraine now? (12:18) What’s happened in Crimea? (12:20) And how has that impacted the ministry there?
(14:39) But you mentioned that, you know, in the Ukraine, (14:41) you all are fighting for freedom right now. (14:43) Here in America, so many Americans have taken their freedom so much for granted, (14:47) they don’t realize what is being taken from them (14:51) and the parallels between what’s happening with the policies (14:56) that are coming out of our government here in the United States (15:00) and how they parallel so much what you have witnessed (15:04) and what you have been affected by in the Ukraine. (15:09) I wonder, I mean, coming from the outside, (15:14) you know, what do you see as it relates to that? (15:21) Yes, when Soviet Union fell apart, in Ukraine we thought, (15:26) now we’re free, but we really never were free from Soviet Union in our minds.
(15:35) One time I remember one Christian person, he was a Swedish guy, (15:41) he was working in one of our Christian camps, (15:45) and a few workers were given to him from our church, from one of our churches. (15:50) He worked with them one month, and then he said, (15:53) you guys, maybe you have Christ in your heart, (15:58) but you still have communism in your head. (16:02) He was serious about this.
(16:05) Right. (16:05) We were taught in the church, in Christ we are a new creation, (16:09) everything old had passed and ahead we have everything new. (16:14) We were taught this in the church, and we thought, yeah, truly, yeah, that’s right, (16:17) we are new in Christ.
(16:19) But when he worked with us for one month, he said, (16:21) Christ maybe is in your heart, but in your head you still have communism. (16:27) This communist thinking that somebody has to make decisions for me, (16:32) that the government is smarter than me, (16:35) that I don’t take any initiative, I don’t make any decision, (16:40) this mentality of communism was still in us. (16:45) We were afraid to go forward, make decisions.
(16:48) We didn’t know what freedom is. (16:52) And even up until this winter, we as church, we didn’t know really what freedom is. (16:58) Now we’re beginning to understand that the freedom is when you are making your own life.
(17:06) You do not depend on strong government that will make your life better. (17:10) And we even began to think like, okay, a slave, (17:14) the mentality of the slave is to have a good government over you (17:20) that will provide you a good life. (17:22) The mentality of a free person is what I can do for my country, (17:26) what I can do for my life here, how can I improve life around me.
(17:31) So churches were so blocked inside of their church buildings, (17:35) like this is our world, we do not affect anything, (17:39) church and the government are separated, (17:41) and so let the government do their thing, we church, we are going to do our thing. (17:46) Now we understand, hey, come on, the Bible says that the church, (17:50) believers were the strongest effect on their countries, (17:54) that believers were the strongest effect on their government (17:56) when they were talking to government. (17:59) So we believers, we now understand that we have a key role on this earth, (18:04) not only to teach people about Christ, (18:08) but also to teach people everything what Christ taught us, (18:12) and Christ taught us how to do things.
(18:16) And now we understand that we have a broader influence as a church (18:22) and broader responsibility as a church, (18:24) not just to build our own church and be there, (18:27) but to affect the society that we have around us. (18:31) Vitalik, how dangerous is it when the church succumbs to the concept (18:38) that there is a separation and they have a very limited view of their mission, per se? (18:48) Oh my. (18:51) You know, we cannot live our Christian life only in church.
(18:55) You are a Christian every day, every hour of each day. (18:59) So if we cut ourselves from all other responsibilities in society, (19:06) like being a good steward of what God has given us, (19:10) being a good citizen, being a good governor if you are a Christian governor, (19:15) being a good business person, being a good policeman, being a good president, (19:23) if we cut Christian life out of that, (19:26) then what is our Christian life really is? (19:31) The darkness immediately comes to the places where light goes away from. (19:36) It is immediately happening.
(19:38) There cannot be anything else, either darkness or light. (19:42) So now, I’m sorry, in Ukraine we suffered from darkness all the Soviet Union time, (19:48) and now the last 20 years of freedom from Soviet Union. (19:52) We still suffered all this time.
(19:54) Now people, even unbelievers, they have light in their eyes. (19:58) Like, come on, guys, we can do things. (20:01) Our army is right now fighting terrorists.
(20:06) Our wounded soldiers are coming back. (20:09) Volunteers are helping with medicine, (20:12) helping with finding money for necessary equipment and medicines to be sent to the right hospitals. (20:20) We’re collecting money to feed our army.
(20:25) We’re buying them with this money. (20:27) We’re buying them helmets and bulletproof vests. (20:32) We are supplying everything.
(20:34) Like, regular people, volunteers, the government is very slow, (20:40) very bureaucratic until it starts doing something. (20:44) If not for volunteers, our army would be probably already destroyed. (20:48) If not for volunteers, probably half of our soldiers would be dead already, (20:52) because volunteers were people who think freely, (20:57) who think, I can do something for my people.
(20:59) If not for them, then these things would be happening, (21:02) because they are quick, they find the right context, (21:06) they find the right people, they find money. (21:07) People believe them. People don’t believe the government anymore.
(21:10) People believe just regular, honest, simple people that do something. (21:15) And they save people’s lives. (21:17) And I’m thinking, Christian.
(21:20) There should be Christians doing that. (21:21) But this is not what believers are doing. (21:23) And I feel ashamed in my heart that in most places, (21:27) this is what unbelievers are doing.
(21:29) And we, Christians, going to church, we’re praying to God, (21:33) Lord bless, yes, we do this, we read the Bible, this is good, (21:36) but come on, we’re stepping out of the church. (21:39) Run, go, do something. (21:41) Save people’s lives, any way you can do this.
(21:45) By preaching the gospel, but also by helping people with anything. (21:49) So there was even a small post on Facebook. (21:53) We are buying all the necessary food for our army, medicine, (21:57) we’re buying weapons for them, sending them out there.
(22:01) We’re doing everything with our own strength. (22:04) Why do we need government? (22:07) Why do we need government? (22:08) We’re doing everything with our own people. (22:12) That’s outstanding.
(22:14) Very quickly, because we’re coming to the end of our segment. (22:17) The difference regarding religious freedom (22:20) between a free Ukraine and a Soviet Ukraine. (22:28) Right now in Ukraine, as free as we are right now, (22:31) churches are able to do anything.
(22:34) Churches can restrict evangelism, (22:36) churches can go to hospitals and places like this. (22:39) There is a law that restricts churches (22:42) from going to schools and kindergartens, (22:45) but churches still find ways to go there. (22:47) In Soviet Union time, or what is happening right now (22:50) in Russia or in Crimea that is occupied by Russia, (22:55) churches are kicked out of any premises (22:59) that they were renting.
(23:03) Please remember, about 5% of our churches in Ukraine (23:06) have their own buildings. (23:08) 95% were renting a city hall, (23:12) renting cinema or something for our congregation meetings. (23:15) So churches are being kicked out of these places.
(23:17) Now churches are gathering in apartments or offices, (23:21) places like this, very limited. (23:23) Churches are not allowed to have a street evangelism. (23:27) You need to have a permission for that.
(23:29) And of course, if the government says no, (23:31) what can you do? (23:32) You cannot preach on the street (23:33) like it is right now available in Ukraine. (23:36) But the government right now in Crimea (23:40) is not strongly after church. (23:44) The government is trying to build its own basic structures.
(23:50) When the Russian government will feel strongly in Crimea, (23:55) then it will start dealing with churches as well, (23:58) which means re-registering them. (24:01) Re-registration means putting new rules (24:04) that churches will play by and new restrictions. (24:07) And this is what our church is expecting (24:09) to have right now in Crimea.
(24:12) Very quickly, because we’re just a couple of seconds over, (24:15) but just very quickly, (24:17) what is the Ukrainian response to the U.S. basically saying, (24:22) yes, we’re going to use sanctions, (24:23) but that’s about as far as we’re going to go? (24:27) We thought America is stronger than that. (24:31) We thought that America has stronger teeth (24:34) and can react stronger to what Russia is doing. (24:37) Russia is sinking its teeth into Ukraine right now on the east, (24:41) and we thought that somebody will come (24:43) and help us to fight this big monster here.
(24:48) Fortunately, Russia is a little bit afraid (24:52) to go full force against Ukraine with its army. (24:56) But if it does, (24:59) we don’t know how the world’s reaction is going to be. (25:02) So far, it was very soft, very weak.
(25:05) We are a little bit concerned about that. (25:08) Well, we’ll be praying for you, Vitalik, (25:10) and we’ll get you back on again to talk some more (25:12) about what’s happening over there. (25:14) We want to keep in touch with you.
(25:15) Thank you for being with us. (25:17) Thank you. (25:18) Please keep us posted.
(25:18) Thank you, Pastor Greg, yes. (25:20) Blessings to you, my brother. (25:22) Folks, we’re going to take a quick break.
