Further statement

... from a group of researchers at the University of Konstanz with Russian citizenship

We, researchers of the University of Konstanz with Russian citizenship, strongly condemn the aggressive war that Russian government is currently waging against Ukraine. We are deeply sorrowed by the unspeakable hardship that the Ukrainian people are suffering today. We do not want to be associated with the actions of the dictatorship government that represses any dissent - the government that we have never supported.

We call for an immediate ceasefire, complete removal of the Russian armed forces from the sovereign Ukrainian territory followed by a broad humanitarian and financial aid. We are convinced that silence is a fatal strategy and we call on Russian expatriate researchers to speak up. It is now a matter of standing up for the basic human values, and not an expression of a political opinion.

Contrary to Russian propaganda, even in the face of ruthless Russian military aggression, we observe that the European community remains true to its values of inclusivity and equality, en masse. For our part, we hope that academia will keep its integrity and will not allow unjust discrimination based on citizenship towards scholars that share the same values. We strongly support the initiatives that are helping researchers and students worldwide who flee from war conflicts and dictatorship.

Our thoughts are with the brave people of Ukraine.