With the collapse of Nazi Germany in 1945, Russia took control of much of Eastern Europe and the Baltic States. Freedoms disappeared for millions of people as they lived in the new country, the Soviet Union. From 1945 to the beginning of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1988, Moscow dominated every aspect of life. The Ukraine had already felt the dominance of the Communist during the years 1932-33 when they starved nearly 4 million Ukrainians. It was a genocide by Stalin as an attempt to bring the rebellious Soviet republic to obedience. The first Soviet Republics began to withdraw from the Soviet Union and by 1991, the countries of Eastern Europe were free. There were many years of struggle for the peoples of those countries to learn how to live and function without Moscow dictating every aspect of their lives.
On February 24, Vladimir Putin using a page out of Adolf Hitler’s play book when he accused Poland of killing Germans along the border, invaded the Ukraine. The Ukraine is the largest European country, second in size only to Russia. It is the bread basket of Europe. It is rich in minerals, coal, natural gas and many other resources.
The major religion of the Ukraine is Ukrainian Orthodox Church, initially founded from Constantinople around the year 1000 AD. It was about that same time that the capital, Kiev was established by the Vikings as a trading center. Today there are a small number of Roman Catholics living in the country along with a number of other religious groups.
War can be divided into two classes; defensive and offensive. When a peaceful society is attacked, that society or country has the right to take up arms in self-defense. Theologians have traditionally held that no special moral justification is needed when taking up arms to defend oneself from an armed attack. As the news reports show, the Russians are using tanks, missiles, planes and attack helicopters killing whomever is in their path.
War is terrible, let us spend the Lenten Season in added prayer for the Ukrainian people. That a lasting peace will come to Eastern Europe.