Pat Robertson Dragged for Saying Putin ‘Compelled by God’ to Invade Ukraine

It’s been nearly impossible to find anyone able to justify Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. And then there’s Pat Robertson. 

During a recent appearance on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s The 700 Club, which the 91-year-old televangelist returned to as a guest after hosting for 55 years, Robertson said Putin invaded Ukraine because’ he’s “being compelled by God,” per the Washington Post. 

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

The retired religious talking head cited verses from the book of Ezekiel and suggested that Ukraine is a “staging ground” for an Armageddon battle, insisting that “God is getting ready to do something amazing.” Ukraine has already suffered 1,500 civilian and military casualties as a result of Putin’s invasion, per U.S. officials. 

Robertson—who once inaccurately predicted the world would end in 2007— has made his fair share of controversial and outright absurd statements in the past, as the former Republican presidential candidate said in 1980 that “by the end of 1982 there is going to be a judgment on the world.” 

Recently, he claimed that Donald Trump would win the 2020 presidential election, and that it would immediately be followed by an asteroid hitting earth—both of which certainly did not happen.

Robertson’s latest comments were appropriately dragged by people on social media. Check out some more notable reactions below.