Our position is simple: Russia does not need a war with Ukraine and the West. Such a war is devoid of legitimacy and has no moral basis.

There is an ever-increasing flow of alarming news about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. Reports are emerging about stepped-up recruitment of mercenaries within Russia and the transfer of fuel and military equipment to Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In response, Ukraine is arming itself and NATO is sending additional forces into Eastern Europe. The tension is not abating, but rather mounting.

Russian citizens are becoming de facto hostages of a reckless adventurism that has come to typify Russia’s foreign policy. Not only must Russians live with the uncertainty of whether a large-scale war will begin, but they are also experiencing a sharp rise in prices and a devaluation of their currency. Is this the sort of policy Russians need? Do they want war—and are they ready to bear the brunt of it? Have they authorized the authorities to play with their lives in this way?

 

But no one asks Russian citizens for their opinion. There is no public debate. State television presents only a single viewpoint—that of the warmongers. Direct military threats, aggression and hatred are aimed at Ukraine, the US, and the West. But the most dangerous thing is that the war is being depicted not only as permissible, but as inevitable. This is an attempt to deceive the population, to impose upon them the idea of waging a crusade against the West, rather than investing in the country’s development and improving living standards. The cost of the conflict is never discussed, but the price—the huge, bloody price—will be paid by the common Russian people.

 

We, responsible citizens and patriots of Russia, appeal to Russia’s political leadership. We openly and publicly call out the Party of War that has been formed within the government.

 

We represent the viewpoint of those in Russian society who reject war, who consider unlawful the use of military threats and the deployment of a blackmailing style in foreign policy.

 

We reject war, whereas you, the Party of War, consider it acceptable. We stand for peace and prosperity for all Russian citizens, whereas you put our lives on the line for the sake of political games. You deceive and manipulate people, whereas we tell them the truth. You do not speak in the name of the Russian population—we do. For decades, the Russian people, who lost millions of lives in past wars, have lived by the saying: “if only there were no war.” Have you forgotten this?

 

Our position is quite simple. Russia does not need a war with Ukraine and the West. No one is threatening us, no one is attacking us. Policies based on the idea of such a war are immoral and irresponsible and must not be conducted in the name of the Russian people. Such a war is devoid of legitimacy and has no moral basis. Russian diplomacy should take no other position than a categorical rejection of such a war.

 

Not only does such a war not reflect Russia’s interests, but it also threatens the country’s very existence. The senseless actions of the country’s political leadership, which is pushing us in this direction, will inevitably lead to a mass anti-war movement in Russia. Each of us will naturally play a part in it.

 

We will do everything in our power to prevent this war, and if it begins, to stop it.

Signed,

Lev Ponomaryov, human rights activist Valery Borshchev, human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina, human rights activist Leonid Gozman, politician Liya Akhedzhakova, actress and People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Andrey Makarevich, musician Garri Bardin, director Viktor Shenderovich, writer Tatiana Lazareva, TV presenter Andrey Zubov, historian and politician Andrey Nechaev, politician Alina Vitukhnovskaya, writer Alexander Belavin, physicist Nikolai Rozanov, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Natalia Evdokimova, executive secretary of the Human Rights Council of St. Petersburg Efim Khazanov, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Ilya Ginzburg, physicist and professor Zoya Svetova, journalist Grigory Yavlinsky, politician Lev Shlosberg, politician Boris Vishnevsky, politician Lev Gudkov, sociologist and professor Igor Chubais, philosopher Tatyana Voltskaya, poet and journalist Boris Sokolov, historian and writer Mikhail Krieger, civic activist Veronika Dolina, poet Vladimir Mirzoev, director Ksenia Larina, journalist Andrey Piontkovsky, publicist Mark Urnov, professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics Mikhail Lavrenov, writer Nikolai Prokudin, writer Elena Fanailova, poet and journalist Grigory Mikhnov-Vaytenko, clergyman Lev Levinson, human rights activist Sergei Germann, member of the Writer’s Union of Russia Vladimir Alex, civil activist Yuri Gimmelfarb, journalist Yuri Samodurov, human rights activist Evgeniy Tsymbal, civil activist Vitaly Dixon, writer Natalya Mavlevich, translator Ashraf Fattakhov, lawyer Viktor Yunak, writer Valeria Prikhodkina, human rights activist Elena Grigorieva, children’s poet Vera Shabelnikova, editor Mair Makhaev, philosopher and linguist Grigory Amnuel, producer, director, publicist, and politician. Sergei Krivenko, human rights activist Yaroslav Nikitenko, environmental and civil activist and scientist Tatyana Yankelevich Bonner, human rights activist Nikita Sokolov, historian Anatoly Golubovsky, historian Nikolai Rekubratsky, researcher Vitold Abankin, human rights activist Elena Bukvareva, doctor of biological sciences Igor Toporkov, human rights activist Evgeniy Kalakin, director Liudmila Alpern, human rights activist Nina Caterly, writer Vladimir Zalishchak, municipal deputy Olga Mazurova, doctor Oleg Motkov, director Natalya Pakhsaryan, professor at Moscow State University Elena Volkova, philologist and culturologist Valery Otstavnykh, director and journalist Georgy Karetnikov, civil activist Marina Boroditskaya, writer Sergey Lutsenko, animation supervisor Alexey Diveev, programmer Tatyana Vorozheykina, lecturer at the Free University of Moscow Tatyana Kotlyar, human rights activist Anatoly Barmin, pharmacist Valentin Skvortsov, professor at Moscow State University Lev Ingel, physicist Mikhail Mints, historian Leonid Chubarov, professor Katya-Anna Taguti, artist Elena Efros, civil activist Anna Shapiro, director Tatyana Dorutina, member of the Human Rights Council of St. Petersburg Arkady Konikov, programmer Sergei Pechenkin, civil activist Anatoly Razumov, historian Alexander Sannikov, colonel of the Russian Armed Forces (ret’d) Anatoly Tsirlin, professor Karen Hakobyan, professor