How does the Ukrainian invasion fit Bible prophecy?

Short answer: Not much, but it fits between events, from which we could speculate.

In What does the Bible say about the future?, I wrote about near-future prophecies, including this timeline from Ezekiel 36-40.

• Ezekiel 36 vaguely points to the 1917 Balfour declaration promising a Jewish state in the geographical area called Palestine.
• Ezekiel 37 describes a valley of dry bones coming to life as a formidable army.  The birth of modern Israel in 1948 fulfilled this when their immediate attempted obliteration was turned against their neighbouring aggressors. ^{TheEzekielProphecies}
• Ezekiel 38–39 describes an invasion from a Russian-led alliance, including Iran, Turkey, and others.  The prophecy describes a volcanic event in the Golan, which obliterates the invaders, and fire is poured out on Russia and “those who live without a care overseas^39:6” ^Ezekiel3839
• After that’s the Tribulation (apocalypse) during which there’ll be a third Jewish Temple, which Ezekiel doesn’t seem to mention.
• Ezekiel 40 onwards describes a temple the size of a city centre, during Jesus’ millennial reign. ^{TheMillennium}

So, we’re between Ezekiel 37 and 38, which perfectly describes modern Israel.

Ezekiel 38:8 After a long time, you’ll be conscripted [the Russian alliance].  In the latter years, you’ll come into the land that has been rebuilt after a war and has been gathered from many countries.  You’ll come against the mountains of Israel, which was a perpetual wasteland.  But its people have been brought there from the nations of the world, and all of them will live in safety.

Arabia, and the West will merely protest this annexation:

Ezekiel 38:13 Arabia and the traders of England, with all her colonies will say to you, “Have you come to pillage?  Have you gathered this great company to seize plunder?  To take away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and lots of plunder?”

See my full paraphrase of Ezekiel 38-39 in a modern context.

What does this mean?

This provides a key to speculate on Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine.  In the future, a Russian alliance will invade Israel; and the West will just complain.  This suggests that in this case, the West will also just complain and not risk a nuclear war.  Then Russia will sit back for a few years, then suddenly they’ll be invading Israel.  As their current “military exercise” began, they already expressed a rejection of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan, which was captured when Syria attacked them from that strategic high ground.  The Golan is the area around the sea of Galilee, where Jesus spent most of his ministry.  Historically it’s been a part of Israel on and off since they attacked Moses and his people as they approached Canaan.

So, the good news is I don’t see this turning into a nuclear World War 3. 
The bad news is we’ll just abandon the Ukraine to their fate.

– Brent