A Week of Peace

Thann BennettNews
Written By Thann Bennett

Peace talks once again took center stage recently, first in Alaska between Russia President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, and then at the White House between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump, and several European leaders.

First, Presidents Putin and Trump met for nearly three hours in Anchorage, Alaska. The meeting was marked by vivid atmospherics, including a scenic mountain backdrop, a B-2 stealth bomber flyover, and even a joint ride in the presidential limo known as “The Beast.” While no deal or framework was agreed to, both leaders cited progress toward peace.

Next, on Monday, Presidents Zelensky and Trump were joined by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France President Emmanuel Macron, Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte for a meeting at the White House. Leaders expressed a similar sentiment of optimism after the meeting, but no peace framework was announced.

Analysis and eternal perspective: There was a lot of peace talk recently, but so far it is more talk than peace. That is often the case on the diplomatic road to peace, but it can be difficult to parse progress from perpetual delay. Ultimately, it will take Presidents Putin and Zelensky coming to a meeting of the minds to achieve a truce. President Trump has suggested the possibility of hosting a meeting between the two warring presidents, but nothing has been announced.

We as The Equipped community remain in steadfast prayer for those living in a war zone. We also remain steadfast in our pursuit of peace (Ps. 34:14), while acknowledging that true and lasting peace requires far more than just the cessation of war. We pray for lives to be protected, homelands to be secure, and, most important, for those on all sides of the conflict to know a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Finally, be encouraged. Our current home on Earth will always contain war and strife, but your eternal home will be free of tears and bloodshed.

Thann Bennett

Thann Bennett is the Founder and President of Every Good Work, which exists to equip Jesus followers for a life of impact. His weekly newsletter, The Equipped, helps Jesus followers engage current events through a lens of the True and the beautiful. Thann and his wife, Brooke, are co-Founders of A Fearless Life, which works to find and fund a family for every adoption-eligible foster child in America. Thann has more than two decades of high-level public policy experience, with a particular focus on the U.S. Congress and the United Nations. He is the author of In Search of the King and My Fame His Fame. Thann and Brooke live in southern Maryland with their three children: Jude, Gambrell, and Hope, as well as a host of farm animals. The Bennetts are longtime members of the National Community Church family in Washington, D.C.

Previous

Mocking Justice and Common Sense: A Federal Court Rules Against the Little Sisters of the Poor
Next

Kickoff