41 Nobel laureates in an open letter called on world leaders not to recognize Putin’s legitimacy as president
“Give up any illusions regarding Mr. Putin” called world politicians thirty-nine Nobel laureates. Inan appeal published in seven languages, scientists demand not to recognize Putin as a legal president-elect, increase aid to Ukraine, rescue political prisoners in Russia, support Russian democratic anti-Putin organizations, including independent Russian media.
“The war in Ukraine and the murder of Alexei Navalny concern not only Russia and Ukraine. Putin’s regime has shown that it poses a direct and obvious threat to all humanity,” note physicists, chemists, biologists, economists and writers. They range from those who received science’s top prize more than forty-five years ago, like 1979 Nobel Prize winner in physics Sheldon Glashaw, to those who received it more recently, like 2023 Physiology or Medicine Prize winner Drew Weissman .
The signatories believe that politicians underestimate the criticality of the situation the world is in and remind heads of state of the lessons of the past:
History teaches us that appeasing the aggressor leads to further crimes against humanity. No temporary benefits can justify this. We strongly oppose a repeat of Munich 1938!
“It is quite natural that this appeal appeared on behalf of the greatest scientists, because we are experiencing a decisive moment in history. It is important to realize that the current situation in the world represents something more than just a local war between Russia and Ukraine or even a conflict between Russia and the West. Instead, we are witnessing a tectonic cultural shift with unpredictable consequences. Unfortunately, politicians and the world community have not yet fully realized the seriousness of this conflict. That is why the statement of world scientists, led by Nobel laureates who signed this letter, is of such paramount importance. Politicians are obliged to heed the call of the laureates, otherwise we will all face the fate of the heroes of the film “Don’t look up”, who died because that they refused to believe in the seriousness of the catastrophe predicted by scientists,” noted Alexander Kabanov, one of the initiators of the appeal, professor at the University of North Carolina, member of the T-invariant coordinating council.
You can read the letter in 7 languages and also leave your signature under it using the link
27.03.2024