LEICESTER, United Kingdom – According to the Ukrainian bishop in London, Ukraine’s people will “bravely defend their country, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe” as it fights against Russia’s invasion of the country.

Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, the Eparchial Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, was speaking after a meeting in the Ukrainian Embassy last week.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia has been making slow advances in Ukraine, but is suffering huge casualties, as are the Ukrainians.

On March 27, Nowakowski met with Ukrainian Ambassador Valerii Zaluzhnyi and Mariana Betsa, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“For many years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, but especially for Ukrainians who have recently arrived in Great Britain in the last three years, the routine is the same every morning – checking social media and messages from family and friends in Ukraine,” the bishop said.

“It’s 80 years since the first Ukrainians displaced during and after the Second World War arrived seeking shelter in Great Britain. Since those days many decades ago, Ukrainians, as now, have received a warm welcome and support through its darkest days during the ‘Cold War’, the religious and political persecution from the Soviet regime, through to this unprovoked and heinous war against Ukraine by Russia,” he added.

“Almost 300,000 citizens of Ukraine have arrived in Great Britain since 2022 and, through the generosity and kindness of British people, have found safety while they await the end to the war and a true, lasting, and just peace,” said Nowakowski.

“The Catholic Church in England and Wales has been supportive of our pastoral outreach to our sisters and brothers in this time of great need. Sadly, I am not able to say that we are seeing the end in sight. In fact, because of the events of the last several days, we all now find ourselves with more anxiety, and the need for prayers and comfort is even more acute,” he said, referring to continued attacks by Russia.

Betsa spoke to Chanel 4 News during her visit to Britain, saying Russia must return the 20,000 Ukrainian children abducted during the conflict for peace to be achieved.

“This is one of the red lines. We need to include the issue of children into any peace talks, negotiations and meetings. And this is extremely important for our president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is extremely important for the entire Ukrainian nation, but it is extremely important for every family whose child was abducted, brutally abducted,” Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs told the channel.

She said Ukraine is “fully committed to peace” and is undertaking all necessary actions to achieve a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace” for the country.

“But it should be also reciprocal, and we haven’t seen any signs from Russia that it does want peace,” Betsa said.

“I don’t think any country in the world has illusions about Russian atrocities and crimes,” she told Channel 4.

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