Liverpool priest warns invasion of Ukraine a 'test case' for Western world

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a ‘test case’ for the entire Western world, according to one leading academic.

And those nations must all stand together to defeat the ‘devil’s work’ of Russia’s President Vladmir Putin.

Dr Taras Khomych, a Senior Lecturer in Theology at Liverpool Hope University, hails from Lviv in the west of Ukraine.

He’s also a priest at Liverpool's Ukrainian Catholic Parish, which is based at the city’s St Sebastian's RC Church, and is currently praying for family and friends who still find themselves in Lviv.

And Dr Khomych has spoken-out to hail the ‘dignity, humanity and freedom’ that Ukraine is currently fighting to protect - and warns other countries that they may face their own battle should they let Putin dictate.

He says: “Putin is trying to deny the human dignity of Ukrainians. It’s Devil’s work to deny this. In Greek, the word for devil is ‘diávolos’, and it means ‘the one who divides’, ‘the one who disperses’, ‘the one that leads to destruction all the way to death’. This is what is happening in Ukraine right now, but also everywhere else where Putin tries to influence - Georgia, Kazakhstan, Syria. Everywhere, he brings destruction.

“This simply cannot last any longer. People have to stand and fight in solidarity together because Putin is not going to stop even if he captures the entire Ukraine. This is not only a war against Ukraine, and it’s a war against values we need to defend.”

Dr Khomych has denounced Putin’s claims that Ukraine has no ‘history’ as ‘propaganda lies’, which are not only ‘un-Christian’ but also ‘inhumane’.

And he adds: “This escalation of conflict is just the latest stage in what we’ve seen in the last few years. It began with the Ukrainian ‘Revolution of Dignity’ of 2014, where people protested against the decisions of President Viktor Yanukovych, who wanted to drag Ukraine back under the influence of Russia. The people wanted to choose the pro-Western, pro-European vector of development in Ukraine.

“It was called the Revolution of Dignity because it was an attempt to defend their human dignity - their freedom, and the values of the Western world which were denied to them during the days of the Soviet Union.

“Now the Russian Federation is trying to deny the people their dignity again. This is a war of human values. And I believe that this is also a test case for all Western democracies - whether or not they too can defend the same values which our civilisation is built upon.”

While Dr Khomych has criticised some European nations who have been ambiguous in their response to Russia, he’s actually welcomed the UK’s reaction.

He states: “I’m delighted to see the support from the UK leadership, but also from ordinary people as well. I’ve received a lot of messages of support and sympathy from friends and colleagues

“In this particular situation, the UK leadership has shown a very clear position and they acted decisively, sending a clear message to the Russian Federation.”

For now, Dr Khomych says his family - including his parents - are safe in Lviv, but he says: “Obviously, they are very worried about what happens next because they know that Russia has attacked from many sides of the Ukrainian border.

“People are organising themselves in squads of territorial defence. So even if they are not actively fighting the enemy in a different part of Ukraine, they are getting together to defend their cities and regions from the aggression, if the enemy comes.

“I can see determination from the people. They want to oppose the aggressor, even though they are distressed and worried. They don’t want to let anyone occupy our country.”

Dr Khomych also has a message for all Ukrainians, either here in the UK or abroad.

He reveals: “First of all, keep calm. I know that you are watching the news and the situation is developing rapidly, but you don’t need to watch the news all day.

“Pray for peace - because we know the power of prayer.

“And help Ukraine as much as you can through charitable organisations who provide support for the victims of war.”