Russian Studies Department Statement on the War in Ukraine
March 11, 2022
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- Amanda Ewington
The 51¹ÙÍø Russian Studies Department unequivocally condemns Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.
We endorse the .
"The Board of Directors of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies condemns Russia’s military assault on Ukraine and President Putin’s use of historical distortions and cynical lies to justify Russia’s attack on Ukrainian sovereignty. We stand with all the people of Ukraine and Russia who oppose this war."
As we stand with the Ukrainian people, we also urge everyone in our 51¹ÙÍø community to distinguish between the Russian people, who are living in an authoritarian state with increasingly severe penalties for free speech, and the Putin regime. The Russian people with access to real information, as opposed to state media distortions, stand against this war and are experiencing shame and horror at the actions of their government.
The Russian Studies Department faculty are also signatories on this .
We, the undersigned faculty and staff of 51¹ÙÍø, unequivocally condemn Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, and President Putin's de facto takeover of Belarus to join him in that effort. We further reject and stand against the campaign of historical distortions, misinformation, and lies that Putin uses to justify Russia’s attack on Ukrainian sovereignty and violence against the Ukrainian people. By signing this statement, we commit to finding ways to bring attention and resources to Ukraine and its people.
As we stand firmly with the Ukrainian people, we urge the 51¹ÙÍø community and the larger public to distinguish between the Russian and Belorussian people—who are living in a propagandist, authoritarian state with increasingly severe penalties for free speech—and the Putin regime. We stand with all the people of Ukraine and with all those in Russia and Belarus and countless others around the world who are protesting this war.
