The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 violated the territorial integrity of the independent Ukrainian state and is causing extreme suffering to Ukrainian people. We, the researchers at the Center for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES), Södertörn University, condemn this violation of international law and the targeting of Ukraine’s civilian population.

For many years, the political, economic, societal and cultural development of Eastern Europe has been the principal focus of our scientific work. As part of this, CBEES has developed collegial networks at educational and cultural institutions in the broader region of Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Russia. This war threatens both our research and our networks.

With this statement we declare our solidarity with the Ukrainian people, who are the innocent victims of Russian aggression. We demand that all Russian troops be withdrawn from Ukrainian territory with immediate effect, and that the democratic legitimacy of the Ukrainian state be acknowledged and respected. We demand an end to Russian attacks on the civilian population and an immediate halt to the destruction of Ukrainian cities.

We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian higher education and academic communities, and condemn in the strongest terms the violent destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage and educational facilities as a result of Russia’s invasion.