Today is Europe Day. For a generation, the ‘peace narrative’ meant little. For millions of new Europeans, war was not part of their story. Yet suddenly, all that changed in February.

The Russian Orthodox leader, Patriarch Kirill, defines Russki Mir as a “special civilization which needs to be preserved”. He has become the main promoter of this nationalist idea.

Brutal killings are denounced by the Ukrainian government and human rights organisations as Russia retires from occupied regions.

Ukrainian evangelicals between political and missional responsibilities.

Russian historian Andrey Zubov: “Putin says ‘Russia wants this’ or ‘Russia demands that’. No, it’s Putin and the Kremlin making demands — not Russia or Russians”.

Putin’s messianic pretensions as saviour of Russian civilisation have deep religious and historical roots. Yet our western secular world tends to filter out religion and pre-Enlightenment history as irrelevant.

Evangelicals in Kyiv call to trust in God and defend the country. Churches are offering shelter to refugees. Christian leaders in Moscow express their oposition to war. “Fear paralyses, prayer, trust in God, caring for your neighbor - gives strength”.

Putin sends troops into the Ukrainian territory after the Russian parliament recognises the ‘oblasts’ of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent territories. Europe responds with financial sanctions. Evangelicals pray for wisdom for the next days.

A long-standing religious tension stretching back many centuries has contributed significantly to the current Russian build-up, largely lost on the western secularist mind.

At least seven students and one teacher died and 6 children are in severe condition. President Putin has ordered to revise Russian gun regulations.

The Russian Evangelical Alliance calls to “restore the peaceful relations between the peoples of both countries”. Churches in Ukraine encouraged to “pray and fast for the peace in our land”.

Vitaly Vlasenko, a pastor in Moscow, analyses the situation of evangelicals in Russia. “I am not aware of pastors, bishops, or other Christian leaders who have participated in the protests”.

Most of them are members of Baptist and Pentecostal churches. They were fined for distributing literature on the street and for organising non-authorised religious gatherings.

More than 45 world leaders gathered in Jerusalem to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. They publicly committed to never forget the lessons of the Holocaust.

Zelenskiy beat incumbent President Petro Poroshenko with 73% of the votes.“There is still a chance for Ukraine to improve its relations with Russia”, Russian Prime Minister, Dimity Medvedev said.

The two young US citizens were detained while teaching English at a local LDS meetinghouse. Last month, a Jehovah’s Witness was sentenced to six years.

The body representing 23 million evangelical Christians reacts to the imprisonment of a Danish Jehovah Witness.

Meanwhile, a Baptist theological seminary has been temporarily closed by a Moscow court.

Most administrative prosecutions end in punishment. Many are prosecuted for sharing their faith on the street. “Believers go out to share their faith less often, and give out publications or invitations less openly”.

Several EU countries and the USA show their opposition to Vladimir Putin. “We will not tolerate Russia’s continued attempts to undermine our values”, says UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

The president got 75% of the votes, his biggest electoral victory. The future of religious freedom for the evangelical minorities is very much dependent on the course of East-West relations.

Polls say the President will win again with at least 70% of the vote. Evangelicals hope the state’s efforts to stengthen national unity will not further restrict the freedoms of faith minorities.

In their own quiet way, Russia’s Protestant denominations are continuing to evangelise.

Violence could break out in Hamburg as thousands protest against world political leaders. Christians set up five Houses of Prayer.

The criminalization of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia is a mistake, says the Italian Evangelical Alliance. Freedom of worship should be guaranteed for everyone, “even for those who, in our view, are completely wrong.”