The letter states that, by initiating the conflict with Ukraine, Russia “doomed itself to international isolation” and became “a pariah country”. The academic community predicts that the isolation from the rest of Europe will result in a “cultural and technological degradation of [their] country” and call it “a step to nowhere”.
The signatories, many of whom “have relatives, friends, and colleagues living in Ukraine”, highlight the shared history of Russians and Ukrainians fighting side by side in WWII. They emphasise that they “respect the Ukrainian statehood, which rests on the ideals of a democratic institution” and are convinced that “problems in the relationships between our countries could have been resolved peacefully”.
Conducting scientific research is "unthinkable without cooperation and trust with colleagues from other countries"
They also express concern about not being able to do their jobs, as conducting scientific research is “unthinkable without cooperation and trust with colleagues from other countries”.
The letter was published on an independent Russian news website trv-science.ru and reached over 6000 additional signatures since it was initially published on February 24th with 600 signatures.
Russia launched a military invasion on Ukraine on February 24th, attacking from sea and air. The missile strikes on Ukrainian cities included the Ukraine capital city Kyiv. Ukraine’s Emergency Service stated that there were over 2,000 civilian deaths as of March 3rd, and U.N. Refugee Agency has estimated that over 1.3 million people have fled the country.