(OPINION) As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has blown up into a conflict of horrific atrocities against civilians, nations around the world have lined up to condemn it — even historically neutral countries such as Switzerland.

But former televangelist Pat Robertson, who came out of his retirement to weigh in on the situation, sees something even grander in the whole affair — according to him, Vladimir Putin is being willed by God to conduct the invasion, as a way of triggering the End Times.

“I think you can say, well, Putin’s out of his mind, and yes, maybe so,” said Robertson. “But at the same time, he’s being compelled by God. He went into Ukraine, but that wasn’t his goal. His goal was to move against Israel, ultimately.”


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The founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network claimed that Ukraine is simply a “staging area” for one of the great biblical armies that will gather for Armageddon. Referring to a world map, Robertson pointed to a “choke point” between Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece and why Russia might want to control that point.

“And he will link up with Turkey across the little (land) bridge, and they will come together,” he said. “And then, you look down into North Sudan, you’ve got a Muslim country down there, and there they all are. Persia, of course, is Iran.”

“And there is the land that is set up in Ezekiel 38 and you see how Ukraine is key because you see the land bridge between Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey,” Robertson added. “And all of that area is going to be mobilized against Israel in the latter days. And God says, ‘I am going to deal with it.'”