Rev Franklin Graham has said he would “absolutely” pray with Russian president Vladimir Putin if given the opportunity.
Speaking to Premier during a visit to London on Friday 20th June for his God Loves You Tour, the evangelist and president of Samaritan’s Purse confirmed he would not hesitate to pray with Putin, as he recently did with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the European Congress on Evangelism in May.
“Absolutely, you better believe it,” Graham, 72, said. “I’ve been with Putin before, I’ve met him… no question I would pray with him. These are people that need God’s direction… they need wisdom.”
He added: “This war involving Iran and Israel is very serious, and it could escalate into something much larger. We need to pray.”
Asked about his connections to the White House, Graham was clear he seeks to remain nonpartisan: “I’m careful not to get pulled in too much. I don’t want to be seen as working for the Trump administration, or any political administration,
“But when you’re asked to pray, you do it.”
Graham said he does not communicate with President Trump regularly, but prays for him and other leaders.
On UK politics, Graham commented on Friday's parliamentary debate over assisted dying legislation.
“It’s a moral issue, isn’t it, life," he said. "Do we value life? Do we protect life? I think Christians should be standing for life.”
Encouraging prayer for politicians, he added: “We need to pray that God would impress upon their hearts to do the right thing.”