A former Ukrainian ambassador has compared his country to Israel and said that Ukraine is having an “Israel moment” where David is posed to defeat the Russian “Goliath.”
In a Saturday night interview with ALL ISRAEL NEWS, Olexander Scherba, a 26-year diplomat who stepped down as Ukrainian ambassador to Austria last year, described Ukrainian resistance as nothing short of a “miracle.”
“It’s the first moment in my experience where the whole of Ukraine is united,” said Scherba, who described himself as a devout Christian. “Russian-speaking, Ukrainian-speaking, east-west-south. Those who were just a week ago pro-Russia, those who hated each other just a week ago, now they are absolutely united, and everybody is doing his or her best to stop the enemy.
“This is an Israel moment in our own Ukrainian history,” he continued. “People keep talking about Israel. You guys in Israel were our inspiration.”
Scherba was baptized Orthodox, and his mother was an Evangelical Christian.
He said that he went to bed Friday night fearing that he would wake up to his capital being overtaken by the Russian army. Instead, although there were heavy casualties, Ukraine had managed to resist.
“It feels like during this night the scale has tipped,” Scherba contended, based on reports he said he read on the local news.
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his forces were repelling Russian troops advancing on Kyiv.
"Really, it's just amazing how this Goliath that the whole world was scared of [is being pushed back]," he continued.
But Scherba said the battle is not over and he asked that Christians all over the world pray for Ukraine, and for Ukrainian allies to have the courage to continue to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Please pray for the strength of our spirit,” he said, “and pray for the strength of the spirit of those who help Ukraine… Please God, stand by Ukraine's side because the line between good and evil was never, in our recent past, as clear as it is now.”