Easter message of good triumphing over evil even more poignant for Ukraine – PM

Christ’s message that good will triumph over evil will resonate even more this year amid the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, Boris Johnson has said.

Delivering his Easter message in a video on Twitter, the Prime Minister paid tribute to “the Christians of Ukraine, whether they’re marking Easter today, or its orthodox equivalent later this month, for whom Christ’s message of hope, the triumph of life over death and good over evil, will resonate this year, perhaps more than any other”.

Speaking in Ukrainian, and referencing a Psalm, he said: “Be strong and have courage in your heart, you all who trust in the Lord.”

Mr Johnson said: “Easter tells us that there is light beyond the darkness, that beyond the suffering lies redemption.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury also referenced the conflict in his Easter sermon.

Justin Welby said: “Ukrainians have woken up to the end of the world as they knew it.

“Now they are awakened by the noises of war, and the sickening reality of terror. They wake up to mortal fear.

He later added: “Let this be a time for Russian ceasefire, withdrawal and a commitment to talks.

“This is a time for resetting the ways of peace, not for what Bismarck called blood and iron. Let Christ prevail. Let the darkness of war be banished.”