Franklin Graham Urges ‘Pray for the People of Ukraine’ and ‘an End to this Terrible War’
Evangelist Franklin Graham is urging Christians to pray for Ukraine in the aftermath of Friday's contentious White House meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. Zelenskyy and Trump were scheduled to sign a minerals agreement on Friday when an argument between the three world leaders led Zelenskyy to be escorted from the White House. The argument began moments after Vance told media members gathered in the Oval Office that "peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy." To that, Zelenskyy told Vance that Russian President Vladimir Putin had broken multiple ceasefires and could not be trusted. Vance responded by saying Ukraine had "manpower problems" and that it was disrespectful for Zelenskyy "to litigate this in front of the American media."
Trump then broke into the conversation and told Zelenskyy he was "not in a very good" position to negotiate.
"You don't have the cards right now with us," Trump said. "You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. You're gambling with World War III."
The meeting ended without the two sides signing the deal and Trump issuing a statement saying Zelenskyy is "not ready for Peace if America is involved."
Graham, the president of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, posted a message on social media Saturday requesting prayer for peace.
"Yesterday's meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was tense and unfortunately did not end well," Graham wrote on Facebook. "The progress we had all hoped for is again delayed. Pray for the people of Ukraine, and that there would be an end to this terrible war."
Yesterday’s meeting between @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and Ukraine’s President @ZelenskyyUa was tense and unfortunately did not end well. The progress we had all hoped for is again delayed. Pray for the people of Ukraine, and that there would be an end to this terrible war.
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) March 1, 2025
Samaritan's Purse has been a key force in providing relief to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022, working together with local Ukrainian churches and partners. Samaritan's Purse estimates it has assisted 10 million Ukrainians, delivering 265 million pounds of food and 31 million gallons of water, as well as medical assistance and other essential services. It also has distributed 1.1 million Bibles. "Samaritan's Purse is committed to helping Ukraine," Graham said.
Three years ago, war broke out in Ukraine—forever altering the lives of countless families across the country and beyond.
— Samaritan's Purse (@SamaritansPurse) February 25, 2025
Since that day, tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions have been displaced, and entire communities have been devastated. Yet even in the… pic.twitter.com/oa2NeXAla0
Over the weekend, Trump indicated on his Truth Social account he still wishes to sign the deal, re-posting a statement from another user asserting Trump is "protecting Ukraine without dragging the U.S. into war." The deal would grant U.S. companies access to Ukraine's mineral resources as a form of repayment for American assistance.
"By negotiating a mineral deal," the post shared by the U.S. president said, "Trump ensures that Americans will be involved in Ukraine's mining industry. This prevents Russia from launching an invasion, because attacking Ukraine would mean endangering American lives -- something that would force the U.S. to respond."
On Sunday's news shows, Trump's allies pushed back against suggestions he was siding with Russia.
"It's pretty absurd for anyone in the media or Democrats to somehow proclaim that President Trump, the White House, or Republicans in Congress are on Putin's side. It's a joke," Speaker Mike Johnson told NBC's Meet the Press. "We understand that he is a dangerous adversary and he is the one that provoked the war."
U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) labeled Putin a "murderous KGB thug that murders his political enemies and is a dictator."
"I understand Zelenskyy is rightfully concerned that Putin has violated every single agreement he's ever signed and that he can't be trusted," Lankford told Meet the Press. "He's looking for some kind of security guarantees, which the French and the U.K. are saying they want to put troops in. But we need to get these two folks at the table, get to some kind of resolution to something that may look like North and South Korea for a long time, and have a line where people are looking at each other but not an active war."
It is common for world leaders to disagree vehemently behind closed doors, although such disputes rarely spill over in public. In 2022, former President Biden reportedly began shouting at Zelenskyy during a phone call when the Ukrainian leader said the assistance from the United States was not sufficient.
WATCH: Trump-Zelensky White House Meeting Breaks Out into Argument
Photo Credit: ©YouTube/The Telegraph
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published March 03, 2025.
