The large-scale military invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, which began on the morning of 24 February this year, is not only an open, cynical and brutal attack on the sovereignty of the Ukrainian state, but also on the fundamental values and principles of a democratic state and society.
In this situation, we strongly condemn the military aggression of the Russian Federation. Latvian Council of Science is united in the common position of the democratic world against the military aggression of the Russian Federation and fully supports the further political sanctions implemented by the European Union, at the same time implementing assistance programs for Ukraine and the people of Ukraine.
The minister of Education and Science Anita Muižniece calls on all Latvian higher education institutions, scientific institutions, the academic community and students to show solidarity with Ukraine and the people of Ukraine, distancing themselves from any cooperation with the institutions of the Russian Federation and their representatives: “Although in higher education and science cooperation with various countries around the world has been supported, in this unprecedented situation, I call on you all to show solidarity with Ukraine.”
Latvian Council of Science along with research community condemn the Russian aggression and occupation of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms. We call on Russia to cease the hostilities and respect international law and human rights, and on European countries to welcome all people displaced by the conflict and immediately ensure their safety and well-being.
We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as well as with the Russian citizens protesting against the invasion. The European and international community must work together to put an end to the military conflict and guarantee the safety of Ukrainians.
Ukraine is a valued partner of Latvia in science and research. In this context, we call on our research community to support Ukrainian researchers and to review their official relations with Russian research institutions.