WCC News: WCC prays for ongoing negotiations for peace in Ukraine

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay extended prayers, on behalf of the global fellowship, for the success of the ongoing negotiations for peace in Ukraine.  Photo: WCC 12 December 2025 "We pray that these negotiations will finally bring an end to the death and destruction in Ukraine, especially of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to the terrible loss of so many precious young lives on both sides,” he said. “We especially pray that the outcome of the negotiations will not only be a temporary pause in the violence, but will deliver a just and sustainable peace for the people of Ukraine and the region.” The World Council of Churches has repeatedly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine as illegal and immoral.  “This is the reality from which these negotiations must proceed,” Pillay said. “An outcome that simply rewards the aggressor and does not ensure conditions for a sustainable peace for the people whose land has been invaded could only be regarded as an abject failure of diplomacy and of moral responsibility.” In this context, he added, the WCC is concerned that the “Russian World” ideology – “insofar as it removes this conflict from the realm of international relations and diplomacy and positions it instead in the metaphysical realm of the struggle between good and evil” – represents a grave obstacle to meaningful negotiations for a just and sustainable peace.  “We appeal to all those engaged in the negotiations to commit to overcoming all such obstacles in the search for a genuine and stable peace,” Pillay concluded. “We pray that God will inspire all those involved in this process with compassion and wisdom, to seek a peaceful future in this world we all share.” Read the full statement See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland