The Iustitia et Pax (Justice and Peace) Commission of the Croatian Catholic Bishops Conference on Wednesday condemned the "Russian aggression against Ukraine and against European values in general," saying they stood in "Christian solidarity" with Ukraine.

“The Russian Federation’s all-out attacks against Ukraine amount to the crime of aggression against an independent, sovereign, and democratic state; against fundamental European values; and against the democratic right of any country to self-determination; and against the fundamental Christian values of justice and peace,” a press release, carried by state agency Hina, said.

Two members of the commission, priests Vladimir Dugalic and Stjepan Balaban, said that “the brave resistance of Ukrainian defenders has become the struggle for Europe’s freedom and democracy.”

“The Commission supports the efforts of the democratic world to offer assistance in the form of shipments of military equipment and weaponry to Ukrainian defenders in their just cause. The assistance must remain within the framework of proportionality and international humanitarian law so as to keep the conflict under control and prevent it from escalating into a world war,” they said.

They also warned against blaming all Russians for the war and emphasized that the Vladimir Putin’s regime should be seen as the main culprit for the ongoing events in Ukraine.

“It would be wrong to blame the whole Russian people for the present situation – the responsibility lies with the political regime, and a (small) group of Russians, and also certain Russian Orthodox dignitaries who support the regime,” Dugalic and Balaban said. They called on other religious communities to join the Catholic Church in condemning the wartime destruction and mass killings, and also to accept Ukrainian refugees.

The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill – a longtime supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin – delivered a sermon in March voicing support for the campaign in Ukraine, describing the war as a “metaphysical struggle” against a “godless” international order.