What is Really Going On with Ukraine, Russia, and the US?
What is really going on with Ukraine and Russia, and why is the U.S. involved? I am answering this solely from a biblical worldview — not taking political sides but seeking to share foundational truth that does not change.
BY MATTHEW MAHER
Truth Over Trend
The reality is political maneuvering for decades has led us to this global chess match. If this scenario were a chessboard, we must understand the pieces, the players, and the past moves that have shaped where we are today. Ecclesiastes 1:9 reminds us, “There is nothing new under the sun.” The patterns of nations rising, alliances shifting, and deception spreading are as old as history itself.
This biblical analysis is not exhaustive, but I pray it is comprehensive and convicting — because spiritual discernment is the key to reading between the headlines.
Innocent Blood
First, war is always horrible — innocent lives are lost, families are shattered, and nations are shaken. Proverbs 6:16-19 warns of seven things the Lord hates, and one of them is “hands that shed innocent blood.” There is no question that Vladimir Putin is an evil dictator, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, was a horrific act of aggression.
But wars do not happen in a vacuum. There is always a history, a trigger, and a strategy behind every move on the global stage. America’s foreign policy over decades — especially under weak leadership — has played a part in creating this crisis. Failed strategies under past administrations, including Obama’s disastrous handling of Ukraine and NATO expansion, created blood in the water for geopolitical sharks. His administration’s response to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea — condemning it while doing little to stop it — only emboldened Putin. By the time Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal unfolded in 2021, Russia saw an opening, knowing U.S. leadership had no appetite for real deterrence.
NATO and Russia
To understand why Russia saw NATO as a threat, we must go back to the 1990s:
• After the Warsaw Pact ended in 1991, there was a discussion — “Not one inch east” — where NATO indicated it would not expand toward Russia’s borders.
• In 1994, the Clinton administration introduced the Partnership for Peace, a step toward integrating former Soviet states into NATO.
• By 1999, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic officially joined NATO — a clear contradiction to previous assurances.
This pattern of NATO expansion fueled tensions and laid the groundwork for Russian aggression. While this does not justify Putin’s war, it shows that this conflict was not spontaneous — it was built on decades of geopolitical moves. Proverbs 18:13 warns, “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.”
The Right Lens
And that is why we must have the right lens — one that sees beyond the “right vs. left” media spins. If we fail to recognize the spiritual battle, we will be distracted by political entanglement rather than standing firm in biblical discernment.
When it comes to the present conflict, the mainstream media pushes a simplistic, manipulative narrative:
Putin = Pure Evil
Zelensky = Noble Hero
Trump = Putin’s Puppet
This is not just misleading — it is spiritual deception (2 Corinthians 11:14). The godless voices of the world always unite against what they perceive as a threat to globalist control. Isaiah 5:20 warns, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”
Christians must understand, if the enemies of truth are all in agreement, that alone should raise red flags. It should make us pause before blindly aligning with their narrative. Proverbs 18:17 reminds us, “The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him.”
To be clear, no world leader is truly righteous — not Putin, not Zelensky, not Trump. But God is still sovereign over nations and rulers, using them to advance His purposes, even when they are not godly men (Daniel 2:21). Throughout Scripture, God used pagan kings like Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1-4), Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:6), and Pharaoh (Romans 9:17) to serve His purposes, not because they were righteous, but because they fulfilled His divine plan. As Daniel 4:17 tell us, “The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.” Even unrighteous rulers are under God’s control, serving a purpose in His greater plan.
This is why Christians must read between the headlines.
The globalists seek to erase national sovereignty and move toward centralized, one-world control, a direct precursor to the beast system of Revelation (Revelation 13:7-8). And to be completely clear, all roads lead to Israel when it comes to end times prophecies. This should always be how we view “wars and rumors of wars.” As Jesus said, “See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:4-8).
Trump and Russia
This brings us to Trump’s strategy. The Marxist mainstream media portrays him as weak on Putin, but this contradicts his actual record from 2016 to 2020. Trump was the first president in decades to demand NATO pay their fair share, impose crippling sanctions on Russia, and keep America out of reckless wars.
Trump is not a “puppet” of Putin — he understands power. He knows that Russia is allied with China and North Korea, three world superpowers hostile to the U.S. It would be foolish not to engage diplomatically with an adversary if it means achieving peace through strength. Proverbs 20:18 reminds us, “Plans are established by counsel; by wise counsel wage war.”
Negotiating with strongmen like Putin is not weakness — it is wisdom. Weak leadership in the past led to war. A strong America under Trump puts bullies back in their place without reckless bloodshed.
The ‘Exchange’
Many have asked my thoughts on the Oval Office exchange between Trump, Vance, and Zelensky. I posted my analysis on social media, but the key takeaway is this:
• Zelensky pushed beyond what had already been negotiated.
• Trump kept it steady, knowing that real diplomacy requires careful messaging.
• Vance made a factual point about Biden’s failed strategy of insulting Putin, and Zelensky overreacted, derailing what could have been a successful meeting.
And yet, who attacked Trump and Vance for this? Look at the people who are aligning with Zelensky — they are the most godless, leftist, anti-Christian voices of our day. That alone should make Christians pause. Why are they so invested in defending Zelensky? Who really benefits from endless war?
Wars don’t just happen, they are orchestrated, prolonged, and exploited. Follow the money, the power, and the influence. Global elites, defense contractors, and corrupt politicians all have a vested interest in perpetual conflict. They fund it, profit from it, and use it to push their globalist agenda. The same leaders pushing for “democracy” in Ukraine are the same ones pushing godlessness at home — erasing biblical values, celebrating perversion, and silencing truth.
Christians and Truth
And yet, many Christians buy into their propaganda, treating war as a moral crusade while ignoring who is actually pulling the strings. This is not about standing with Ukraine or condemning Russia — it is about recognizing deception, seeing through the lies, and refusing to be manipulated.
This isn’t just about politics. It’s about spiritual discernment and reading between the lines.
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Matthew Maher has gone from pro to con to Christ (From the heights of success to the flatline of failure). As a professional soccer player, he followed the trends of the world while ignoring the truth of God’s Word.
As a result, in 2009, a life-altering failure would change his trajectory and have him collide head-on with the redemption of the Savior. Now he is no longer persuaded by the trends of the culture around him and is committed to share the truth of Christ within him, whatever the cost.
Truth Over Trend was birthed out of the conviction of redemption.
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