The World Council of Churches head, Rev. Jerry Pillay, has said that as Feb. 24 marked the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there is sadness that the war continues without any immediate signs of an end as he calls for a sustainable peace.

Thousands of Ukrainian flags have been placed at the Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), the central square of Kyiv, Ukraine, in front of the Independence Monument, in memory of those whose lives have been lost since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022.

"On this tragic anniversary we say again: the Russian invasion of its sovereign neighbour Ukraine is illegal, immoral and unjustifiable," said Pillay.

"At the same time, we say again that the death and destruction must be brought to an end. We call once again for dialogue and negotiations to secure a sustainable just peace."

He said that the futility of the war is grieved in the enormous cost of lives among civilians and many children and refugees.

Pillay said. "Essential civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and water supplies, have been damaged or destroyed, often in targeted attacks."

The invasion, its attendant war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the mounting toll in lives, communities, and future hopes destroyed has continued, Pillay reflected.

"We call once again for dialogue and negotiations to secure a sustainable just peace," Pillay said.

"The WCC welcomes any legitimate effort that genuinely seeks a sustainable peace in the region, without simply rewarding the aggression that has been perpetrated and the violation of so many principles of international law established in the aftermath of the Second World War to protect the vulnerable against the depredations of the powerful."

     'Inviting further agression'

Undermining the rule of law in this way would simply invite further aggression, Pillay added.

"Moreover, the legitimacy of any such peace process is ultimately contingent upon the inclusion of the victim of this aggression at the table of negotiations and decision-making," he said. "We pray for an immediate ceasefire, Christian unity against violence and injustice, and for the peace to which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ calls us."

The WCC said it welcomes any legitimate effort that genuinely seeks a sustainable peace in the region, "without simply rewarding the aggression that has been perpetrated and the violation of so many principles of international law established in the aftermath of the Second World War to protect the vulnerable against the depredations of the powerful."

It said that to undermine the rule of law in this way would simply invite further aggression.

"Moreover, the legitimacy of any such peace process is ultimately contingent upon the inclusion of the victim of this aggression at the table of negotiations and decision-making. Decisions cannot be made for a people but with them if it is to be accepted, owned and peaceful."

Top Russian and US officials held talks in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 in a bid to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, slammed the talks, saying any discussion aimed at ending the war should be "fair" and involve Europe France 24 reported.

Russia and the United States agreed to establish teams to negotiate a path to ending the war in Ukraine after talks that drew a strong rebuke from Kyiv over its exclusion.

The announcement that Washington and Moscow would begin in-person talks, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump held a 90-minute phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, sparked panic in Ukraine and amid Kyiv's Western allies, CNN reported.

European leaders even held an emergency summit on Feb.17, reiterating that no peace talks can happen without Ukraine and its European allies having a seat at the table.

The Russian Orthodox Church, which is a member of the World Council of Churches, supports Putin's action in Ukraine.