Dr. Sunday Adelaja, the Senior Pastor of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God For All Nations, a charismatic and evangelical megachurch based in Kyiv, Ukraine, a Nigerian born pastor at the centre of the on going Ukraine-Russian war has called on all well meaning and concerned global citizens especially Christians to hold the world in prayer that the war would not escalate to the extreme.
Pastor Adelaja made this call recently in an interface with members of the Network of African Christian Journalists (NACJOURN). Pastor Adelaja in a Zoom interview said it would take the prayers of the saints across the world to put a stop to the raging war which could consume the entire world if it gets to its extreme.
Ukraine, a former nation under the USSR before it became an independent republic had been in a war of survival with Russia, and the war declared since 24 February, 2022 has been affecting the two nations with the fear that it could spread to other parts of the world or lead to what some people fear could be the Third World War.
The Nigerian born cleric who pastors of one of the fastest growing Churches in Europe with members in Ukraine and Russia was of the view that the war was more of ideological and political interests, revealed that Russia did not want the western countries to use Ukraine as a stepping stone too close to it in a way that it could spell danger for Russia.
He said “Without divine intervention the war might not come to an end,” adding that “Russia might be forced to release its nuclear weapon, if it happens it is about to lose the war, and no part of the world would be spared. We don’t want a major global catastrophe. We want the church to pray, and not to take side with one at the expense of the other.”
Pastor Adelaja who agreed that the war could be a kind of judgement against the warring nations said any form of war is always damaging and traumatic and it was an act of judgement upon the warring nations.
“War is God’s judgement against both the aggressor and the victim. It is God’s judgement against the two,” he asserted.
He however believed that president Putin might be standing against some of the western influences promoted by the church that are against the will of God as preached by the orthodox churches. These include such practices like “giving certificate to Church of Satan, promotion of transgender and same sex marriage, and so, Putin’s stand is a way to put a kind of restriction to western domination in Eastern Europe,” he explained.
Pastor Adelaja also revealed that the war was a resistance against the excesses of western influence with such evils like homosexualism, gay marriage, the kind of lifestyle which the Russian President Vladimir Putin would not allow the west to impose on the Russians. He advised that “We should not be in a hurry to demonise any of the sides, as God may permit this in order to prevent greater evil that is to come. God has a way of putting a balance to such a situation.
Explaining further, the cleric said, “There are some truths in what Putin is saying. It is like he is seeking for a kind of balance of influence. Nobody should demonise any of the sides. We should pray that the will of God would come to pass.”
The Nigerian born pastor, looking into what could lead to the end of the war said except if any of the warring countries believed it was time to put a stop to it.
“It is a big problem, the west will not like Ukraine to lose. There are over 20 countries who are already represented as mercenaries fighting on the side of the Ukraines. The western world would want to make sure that Russia does not win. They have just voted 30billion dollars to this war in America, with an immediate support of one billion dollar weapons. As the situation is now, the end is not predictable. The West want to see that Russia does not win, as long as the weapons continue to come to support Ukraine, we will not see the end of the war.
“I want them to support the Ukrainians, I will like them to help stop the war but the more the weapons keep on coming, we are not likely to see the end to the war. The more military supports keep on coming the longer the war will last.
“Two, there are some NATO countries that are ready to come in, if that happens and they come to fight Russia, Russia could lose but it would just lead to escalate the war to an uncontrollable proportion, Russia would use its nuclear weapon and that could get America involved and if that happens Putin said Russia is ready to bomb 10 major cities in America, and any country from NATO that intervenes in the war would experience consequences that they have never experienced in their history.
Suggesting a possible solution, the man in the eye of the storm said, “The only good thing that could happen is negotiation, but then Ukraine must allow those small nations under it that want to join Russia to go. Again, if any president allows that to happen in Ukraine, Ukrainian people would tear that man into pieces, because no nation would want its member group to go. Ordinary people will oppose it. That is the dilemma of the Ukrainian government. They are ready to withdraw from joining NATO countries. The challenge is how to recognise the breakaway people that is about leaving, about 5 million people would be involved and the territory is one of the richest.”
He however dismissed the notion that Russia was attacking Ukraine because of the its wealth. He explained that “Ukraine is just about 1% of the wealth of Russia. Russia is like the whole of Africa, and when it comes to concentration of wealth, only US compares to Russia not Ukraine. The answer is not an easy one. If the weapons do not stop coming, the war will continue, and if Russia is not defeated there will not be an end to the war.
“What can stop this is for God to give Ukraine the wisdom to take painful decisions or to empower Ukraine to unleash so much damage on Russia that Russia may be humiliated and be disgraced to be forced to withdraw. As it is now one can simply advise Ukraine to allow the willing part of Ukraine to go. We can only continue to pray that God gives Ukraine the wisdom, that Putin would be humiliated to withdraw.”
…….Advises African Countries
On what should be the role of African countries and their leaders on the war, Pastor Adelaja advised that Africa should remain neutral. In his words, “Africa shouldn’t support the East or the West”, noting that “there is a lot of pressure coming from America and the western countries telling Africans to follow what they do” but he was quick to counsel that African countries need a lot of muscles to remain neutral.
He advised that African countries should rather take the advantage of the crisis to develop themselves, especially in the production and marketing of those materials produced by Russia and Ukraine.
He noted for instance, that wheat is obtained from Russia and Ukraine but as of now the two countries may not be able to produce to meet the needs of the global market of wheat.
“If I were in Nigeria I would encourage my people to grow wheat in large quantity. I will put investments in my people, in businessmen to go and cultivate wheat in commercial quantity, and while Ukraine and Russia are fighting with no wheat supply, we can empower about 5million people and make Nigeria a leading wheat producing nation.
“All these things Ukraine and Russia used to supply to the world that can no more continue, Nigerians could make them available to the rest of the world, and use it as an opportunity to develop themselves. Nigeria has gas, now it is time to prepare and take the place of Russia in gas production. In a time of war countries that are wise take advantage of the situation and become wealthy. America developed themselves through the two world wars. They can use the situation to develop African economy and industry.”
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