In an interview with Fox News Digital, Graham told Maureen Mackey that he admires the Ukrainian people and suggested that prayer could change Putin’s heart. “I admire them and we want to do everything we can to help them. It is a mess. It will get worse, I’m afraid. And what is the final game of President Putin, I do not know. But I think we just need to pray for God to change his heart, “said Graham, who is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association. His sermon took an unequivocally different turn when he added that people should pray for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose regime has killed more than 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers and thousands of civilians, including children, and displaced 7.1 million. “And I would advise people to pray for Putin. I do not want to be misunderstood [on this point]he added. “I want people to pray that God will change his heart. And he turned his heart, and that he would see the sin in which he is involved. That he would repent and turn away from it. And if we pray, that it could happen. “ People on social media, however, reacted strongly to Graham’s comments and attacked Preacher. “It’s WAR, Frankie. Are you so afraid of Putin? What cassettes does he have on you? ” said a Twitter user. “You pervert the word of God. No one who praises Putin can say he has the lord in his heart. “Repent, they are charlatans,” said another. “Pray for Putin, my ass,” said another. Here are some more reactions:
