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Welcome, Bishop Venedykt, and all of you joining us this evening, especially those of Ukrainian heritage: Shchyro vitayemo vas vsikh.

Our hearts are heavy as we mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Two summers ago, I visited Poland and Ukraine on behalf of our Episcopal Conference. I met with Ukrainian refugees who fled their country after the Russian invasion and encountered the suffering people in Ukraine. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

As I met people of all ages forced to flee their homeland, a profound sadness overcame me. They told me stories of family members killed defending their homeland, of the destruction of their homes and towns, of family separation, of leaving behind their lives and livelihoods, yes even the barbaric abduction of children.

In Ukraine I traveled to areas where people were massacred for no reason other than they were walking down the street or searching for food. I walked through cemeteries created to bury soldiers and other victims of the war. I prayed in a church where hundreds of funerals had been held since the war began.

Yet, amid the tragedy, I witnessed extraordinary heroism of citizens who became soldiers overnight, first responders who fought fires caused by rocket attacks and neighbors reaching out to each other to provide food and shelter. I also saw the compassion of other countries. During my visit to various sites in Poland I came to admire the Polish people who generously provided food, shelter, clothes, education to children and jobs for millions who crossed over from Ukraine. Their welcoming response to asylum-seekers serves as a call to conscience, forcing us to consider our own country’s attitudes toward the stranger in need.

We need to be here tonight, to recall and honor both the suffering and heroism of Ukraine for unfortunately there are powerful voices attempting to change the narrative and rewrite history. The world must stand with Ukraine and tell the truth. Peace can only be built on truth. What is the truth? (1.) Ukraine is not the aggressor in this war. (2.) The invasion by Russia was unprovoked and in breach of international law and the UN Charter. (3.) Ukraine’s sovereignty was violated, a sovereignty that was promised by the guarantor states when Ukraine disarmed the third biggest nuclear arsenal in the world over all of its nuclear weaponry having received security assurances against the threat or use of force against its territory or political independence. The United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom made this commitment when they signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances on December 5, 1994.

For an entire generation, Ukraine lived in peace. Yet, twenty years after being assured of its sovereignty and security, Russia invaded Crimea in March of 2014 and three years ago launched a full-scale war to annex all of Ukraine. Russia made clear in this way that it does not recognize Ukraine as an independent nation and sovereign state.

I witnessed firsthand the destruction and the displacement of people. I was in Bucha and saw the results of the massacre of innocent victims by Russian troops. To deny any of this and make Ukraine the aggressor is false and must be rejected. Ukraine wants peace but it also wants everyone to tell the truth. The world should stand by Ukraine with respect for its heroism and its right to live in freedom and peace.

Yes, we gather this evening to remember and pray for the deceased and all victims of this war, to pray for peace and for negotiations that will lead to a just peace and lasting security for Ukraine. But this can happen only if Ukraine is at the table, if the truth is told and the nations of the world honor the promises that were made in treaties signed. Ukraine has the right to its existence and its self-determination.  Most of all in this moment, Ukraine has the right to be a true architect of the pathway to peace that can lie ahead. 

One final point. I have come to learn and value Ukraine’s history, culture, language, traditions and heritage. The war is not just about annexing territory, it is also about Russia's refusal to recognize Ukrainians as a people with their own identity and Ukraine as an independent sovereign state. If Russia were to succeed in this regard, the entire world would suffer a great loss.

So tonight let us pray for and honor the dead, remember those suffering each day from the invasion and pray for peace, but let us also tell the truth, so that the peace being pursued will be a lasting peace and not a pretend peace that will only lead to more destruction, more death and more broken promises.

Through the intercession of our Lady, Queen of Peace, may the Holy Spirit of Truth continue to inspire peacemakers and may God bless the people and country of Ukraine.