On 4 March 2022, theRussian Union of Rectors [ru] signed an address in support of the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The letter was signed by heads (rectors) of 304 higher education institutions in Russia.[1] It was highly publicized inside Russia, but internationally it only led to further isolation of Russian educational institutions.
TheRussian Union of Rectors [ru]' address speaks of the military threat to Russia coming from Ukraine. Then it speaks in support ofRussian invasion of Ukraine. It states its aims as the "demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine." The address deliberately evades the word "war", which is outlawed in Russia in this context by thefake news laws.[2] Instead, it says:
It is very important these days to support our country, our army, which defends our security, to support our President, who, perhaps, made the most difficult, hard-won but necessary decision in his life.
Next, the address calls for continuity of the educational process, says that "Universities have always been the backbone of the state" and that one of their main duties is "to instill patriotism in young people". It ends up with a call to unite around the figure ofPutin.
Novaya Gazeta notes that the "hard-won but necessary decision" is an intended omission brought about by thefake news law, which forbids calling a war a war.[3]
The address was widely covered in the Russian media. A number of signatories echoed the style and rhetoric of the address in their comments in the media[4][5][6][7] or their individual addresses.[8][9]
Abroad, the address provoked a sharply negative reaction and led to further isolation of Russian universities.[10][11]TheEuropean University Association suspended the membership of 12 Russian universities, whose rectors had signed the address.[11]France Universités suspended their ties with the Russian Union of Rectors.[12]ForUniversities UK, the address of the Rectors' Union served as a crucial argument to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[13]
Ukrainian universities stripped the signatories of the address of their honorary academic titles.[14][15]
In Ukraine, seven rectors of medical universities who signed the address got the status of suspects in violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Prosecutor GeneralIryna Venediktova stated that measures will be taken to put the signatories on the international wanted list for the purpose of their arrest and extradition to Ukraine.[16][17]
On March 16, 2022, theFree Russia Forum included all signatories in its sanctions "Putin List".[18]
