In a deeply moving moment at the European Congress on Evangelism, evangelist Franklin Graham shared that he met earlier in the day with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to pray for peace amid the ongoing war with Russia.
The announcement came Tuesday evening during a session of the congress, which is being hosted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in Berlin and has drawn over 1,000 evangelical leaders from 56 countries. Graham, who leads the BGEA, took the stage and led attendees in prayer after disclosing his meeting with the Ukrainian leader.
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“Today, I had the privilege to meet with President Zelensky,” Graham told the audience. “And I prayed with him that God will give them wisdom and that God will give them a path forward for peace.”
Graham emphasized the growing instability in Europe and reminded delegates that the region has once again become a battleground. “We see war again on this continent,” he said. “And I have had the opportunity in the past of meeting [Russian] President Putin and sharing with him what we as Evangelicals believe.”
He reflected on his earlier encounter with the Russian leader, noting, “Now, when I said that to him, he kind of listened very politely, but maybe it was the first time he understood. He was probably thinking this is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. I don’t know.”
BGEA has previously reached out to both leaders, encouraging them to seek God in the midst of conflict. But for Graham, prayer is not a last resort—it is the front line. “Only God can solve this,” he said, acknowledging the complexities on both sides of the war.
Calling the congress to a time of collective intercession, Graham urged, “I think the most important thing maybe we can do for the next few minutes is to pray, and to pray for Ukraine, to pray for Russia, for the leaders of these countries and for the president of my country (U.S.), President Trump, that God will give a way forward.”
Delegates responded, lifting their voices in prayer for several minutes. Graham then closed with his own prayer:
“Father, we pray tonight for President Putin,” he said. “And Father, we pray that you would give him wisdom, that you would work in his heart, and that he would desire to have peace.
“And Father, we pray for President Zelensky, that you would work in his heart, and that desire for peace would be in his heart as well.
“And Father, we pray that you would give them a path. A path that would allow them to move forward.
“Father, we believe you’re the only one who can do this.
“We pray for President Trump. Give him wisdom as to what to do and what to say and how he can use his office to bring peace to this part of the world or to help bring it.
“So, Father, none of this can happen without you. We’ve got to have your help. That you would guide and direct. You can open doors and you can close doors.
“So, God, we thank you and we praise you. So tonight, Father, we give you the glory. And we pray all of this in the name of your son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Graham’s call to prayer follows a press conference earlier that day, when he was asked if he had a word of encouragement for European evangelicals facing fear and uncertainty amid government warnings and preparations for potential escalation. His response was simple, but firm.
“Prayer is the most important thing we can do,” he said. “And that is to pray for President Putin, President Zelensky and the leaders in both countries that God would work in their hearts to find a solution to this war.”
He continued, “Thousands upon thousands of people have been killed. No one even actually knows the numbers, but we know it’s horrific. And it needs to come to an end.”
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Graham urged Christians around the world to remain steadfast and hopeful. “Pray that God would somehow touch the hearts of these men and bring them to a point of reconciliation. And at least where the killing would stop, and they could negotiate instead of trying to blow each other up. And that’s what I would encourage the church to do.”
In a time when peace may seem impossible, Graham’s message is a bold reminder that with God, the impossible becomes possible. Prayer, he insists, is the most powerful tool we have to see miracles unfold—even the miracle of peace in the midst of war.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
