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Evangelical leader Franklin Graham was criticized after he appeared on Fox News to call on people to "pray" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has received nearly universal condemnation from the international community over his war with Ukraine and the numerous human rights violations committed by soldiers under his watch.
During an interview with Maureen Mackey, the host of Fox News Digital, Graham said that he admires the Ukrainian resistance but believes that Putin might benefit from the power of prayer.
While Graham conceded that he does not know "what President Putin’s end game is," he nonetheless advised that people should pray for a man whose war has caused the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis Europe has seen in decades.
Speaking of the Ukrainian people, Graham said:
“I admire them, and we want to do all that we can to help them. It’s a mess. It’s going to get worse, I’m afraid."
"And what President Putin’s end game is, I don’t know. But I think we just need to pray that God can change his heart."
He added that people should pray for Putin but insisted that he did not want his recommendation "to be misunderstood":
"I want people to pray that God would change his heart. And turn his heart around, and that he would see the sin that he’s involved in."
"That he would repent and turn from it. And if we pray, that could happen.”
Graham later took to Twitter to urge his followers to engage in "10 days of prayer for the people of Ukraine and an end to the conflict."
From Good Friday through Orthodox Easter on April 24, I\u2019m asking Christians to join me in 10 days of prayer for the people of Ukraine and an end to the conflict.pic.twitter.com/6X5Kk41s6K— Franklin Graham (@Franklin Graham) 1650036419
The following day, he shared a more traditional Easter message calling on his followers to put their "faith and trust" in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ came to this earth to save us from our sins. Maybe you feel you\u2019re too guilty, that God can\u2019t forgive you. He will forgive you if you\u2019re willing to put your faith & trust in His Son Jesus Christ. Call our 24-hr @BGEA prayer line & pray w/ someone now at 888-388-2683.pic.twitter.com/AsREGIsLAO— Franklin Graham (@Franklin Graham) 1650123729
But neither of Graham's messages went over well and he was swiftly criticized.
You pervert the word of God. No man who praises Putin can say he has the lord in his heart. Repent you charlatan.— Ant Langley (@Ant Langley) 1650125672
I think it'd be best to pray for Franklin Graham, so that God May illuminate Franklin as to what Putin is all about...— Roberto Sonnenberger (@Roberto Sonnenberger) 1650130713
.@Franklin_Graham buddying up to Putin since at least 2015, just before Trump's run for Presidency. #Coincidencepic.twitter.com/JFSu4gBtB7— Bill Wong (@Bill Wong) 1650129435
Russia backers of any stripe are traitors to America and Democracy, PERIOD.\n\nWe've been sold out to our greatest enemy for greed, money and power.https://twitter.com/TeaPainUSA/status/1515715879375446018\u00a0\u2026— RealLegend (@RealLegend) 1650284403
Why do Evangelicals adore Putin?\n\nWell, what is the one type organization that doesn\u2019t have to report where their money comes from?\n\nOh that\u2019s right. \n\nReligious non-profits.\n\nIt wasn\u2019t just the NRA that was laundering money for the Russians.\n\n#justsayin\u2019https://www.mediaite.com/news/franklin-graham-tells-fox-news-if-people-pray-for-putin-god-might-change-his-heart/\u00a0\u2026— YS (@YS) 1650130614
I say this freely and without pressure from any outside source, Franklin Graham and ALL the \u201cchristians\u201d on the right and faux news can F*#K all the way off!— John Turley (@John Turley) 1650131022
Franklin Graham keeps referring to the "conflict".\nIt's not a conflict, you miserable excuse for a Christian,\nit's an invasion!https://twitter.com/TeaPainUSA/status/1515715879375446018\u00a0\u2026— Michael Vaughan \u2618\ufe0f (@Michael Vaughan \u2618\ufe0f) 1650218115
Graham it is way too late to change Putin's heart after the death and destruction he has waged on thousands of people for years. The fact that you ask people to forgive him makes you complicit. Shame on you grifter. @Franklin_Grahamhttps://twitter.com/TeaPainUSA/status/1515715879375446018\u00a0\u2026— Rebecca (@Rebecca) 1650221942
"'Grifting fraud' Franklin Graham facing furious backlash for Easter weekend plea to 'pray' for Putin"\nI despise this fraud who cashes in on his father's name and is as anti-Christian acting as a person can be. As for Putin I just hope bad, bad things happen to him..pic.twitter.com/4TUyXLMk44— David W Pippy (@David W Pippy) 1650209892
Graham has come under fire for lauding Putin in the past. The two men even met in 2015 and a few years later, Graham met with Russian Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, a close associate of Putin who was sanctioned by the international community following the 2014 invasion of Crimea.
Grham has also praised Putin for cracking down on homosexuality after Putin's administratiion passed a federal law "for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values," also referred to in English-language media as the gay propaganda law, that has sought to restrict content and behavior that would present homosexuality as a societal norm.