Nobel laureates call on world leaders to increase aid to Ukraine and not recognise Putin as president

Nobel laureates have published an open letter to world leaders. In it, they write that since coming to power in 2000, Vladimir Putin has systematically destroyed post-Soviet democratic institutions and fuelled conflicts in the countries of the former USSR. The letter was signed by 39 laureates.

"The full-scale aggression against Ukraine and the murder of Alexei Navalny is a transfer of the threat to a new level, as the Putin regime no longer sees any limits to its violations of human rights and international norms.

The horrors of the world wars of the 20th century remind us that humanity can avoid self-destruction only if it adheres to the principles of democracy and international human rights law. The Putin regime has cynically trampled on them. The tragedies of totalitarianism call for respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual. putin openly mocks them. He has turned Russia into a highly militarised police state with the largest nuclear arsenal, which threatens the very existence of the world," the letter reads.

The Nobel laureates called on world leaders to fulfil five points.

1. Significantly increase aid to Ukraine.
2. Support human rights and the democratic opposition in Russia.
3. Increase support for Russian citizens who face repression for their democratic and anti-war political beliefs and who need asylum.
4. Support Russian democratic anti-Putin organisations, including independent Russian media, whose role in regime change is critical.
5. Delegitimise Putin's illegal grip on power in Russia, who is desperate for recognition from the international community.

Among those who signed the appeal are scientists, economists and writers, including Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich, Iranian human rights activist and lawyer Shirin Ebadi, Ukrainian human rights activist and head of the Centre for Civil Liberties Oleksandra Matviychuk, and American immunologist Drew Weissman.

Background. As a reminder, US scientists Mungi Bawenda, Louis Bruce and Russian Alexei Yekimov were awarded the Nobel Prize. The prize was awarded "for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots".