In his Christmas message, the president praised Christian charities for helping veterans of the Ukraine conflict

In his Christmas message, President Vladimir Putin praised the Russian Orthodox Church for its charity work and the help it provides to veterans of the Ukraine conflict.

Putin attended a Christmas service at a Moscow church on Wednesday alongside soldiers and their families, the Kremlin said.

“This wonderful holiday illuminates the world with the light of kindness and love, giving millions hope and the joy of belonging to ancestral spiritual traditions passed down from generation to generation,” Putin said in a message released by the Kremlin.

The president said the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian churches play a “tremendous and unique role” in unifying society, boosting patriotism, and preserving the country’s “rich historical and cultural legacy.”

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Religious organizations run charity projects and help veterans of the Ukraine conflict, Putin added. “This important work deserves the utmost recognition,” he said.

Putin has repeatedly stressed the need to safeguard and cultivate “traditional spiritual and moral values,” as well as to promote Russian culture at home and abroad. In November 2022, he signed a decree instructing state institutions to combat what it described as “destructive ideologies.”