President Zelenskyy meets with Franklin Graham: discusses expansion of humanitarian aid for Ukraine
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held an official meeting with Franklin Graham, President of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association and the international Christian humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse. The central topics were gratitude for the support already provided and prospects for expanding humanitarian initiatives in Ukraine.
Source: Office of the President of Ukraine
Humanitarian mission in the spotlight
At the meeting, the Head of State expressed his sincere gratitude to Franklin Graham for the consistent and substantial support of Ukrainians by the U.S. Christian community. President Zelenskyy expressed special gratitude for the assistance to children, internally displaced persons, medical institutions and churches.
“We are very grateful for the strong support of the American people, the White House and President Trump. We really want to count on this support to continue. It is very important to us. Thank you for your prayers and for helping people. This is the most important thing – to help people, to support them, to support children,” Zelensky emphasized.
He also emphasized the importance of the financial support provided by Samaritan’s Purse to Ukrainian communities and churches, saying: “This is very important. Thank you. We will not forget it.”
Return of prisoners and assistance to children
In the course of the conversation, the President informed Franklin Graham on the results of the recent exchange of prisoners of war that took place on May 23-25, which resulted in the return of over a thousand Ukrainians home. He emphasized that the liberation of all illegally detained Ukrainians, including children, remained a priority for the state.
New projects: medical centers, rehabilitation, care for orphans
A separate topic of the meeting was the discussion of new areas of cooperation between Ukraine and Samaritan’s Purse. The following possibilities were considered:
- Establishment of modern medical centers in the regions affected by the war;
- launching rehabilitation programs for veterans;
- support for orphans and internally displaced persons.
Franklin Graham confirmed the organization’s readiness to continue to work actively in Ukraine through partnerships with local churches, communities and volunteers.
Christian footprint in the crisis
The meeting with Franklin Graham was not only a political but also a spiritual event. President Zelenskyy repeatedly thanked him for the prayers that many U.S. churches offer for Ukraine. In the context of war and humanitarian catastrophe, the role of Christian organizations and pastors is especially important: they provide not only material but also spiritual support-in the word, in hope, in faith.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with Franklin Graham demonstrated Ukraine’s deep respect and gratitude to the international Christian community, and outlined new horizons for serving our neighbors in times of war. People, children, the wounded, and the disadvantaged are at the center. And the Christian Church, as it was two thousand years ago, is there for them again.
