Appeal of Ukrainian public figures to the world community and leaders of leading countries

The document is signed by more than 160 persons, including human rights activists, MPs, diplomats, academics, famous artists, leaders of the largest business associations and various religious communities (Christian, Muslim and Jewish).The appeal, entitled  "Do not appease evil"  highlights the Ukrainian vision of Russia’s far-reaching subversive objectives, and depicts the positive and the negative scenarios of the war’s end that depend on the position of the world leaders and the international community.

The new year 2025 brings many uncertainties yet much hope to Ukraine and Europe as we try to find a straightforward solution to a complex problem: how to end the big war. As Ukrainian public figures and intellectuals, we address the world leaders and the international community in order to share our perspectives on the forthcoming challenges and expectations.

Above all, we would like to emphasize that acquiring additional territories is not Russia’s primary objective in this war. It already has vast undeveloped territories, and when it seizes a new land, this land is systematically neglected. Similarly, the objective is not merely to bring Ukraine back under its control. This is only one of the intermediate goals. Russia’s ultimate aim is to break the current world order.

It seeks to regain its status of a superpower that acts arbitrarily and, by the right of the stronger, attacks neighbors, interferes in the affairs of other countries, commits terrorist acts, supports authoritarian regimes and illegally armed groups around the world.

None of this is an isolated incident, a whim of Putin, or a temporary "deviation from normalcy." It is a part of a strategic design. This is why, three years ago, Putin issued an ultimatum to the United States and its allies in Europe, demanding a return to the 1997 disposition.

Ukraine, by reason of its history and geography, has become the next target on the way to realization of these revanchist intentions.

For Ukraine itself, this war is existential: it is a war for survival of the Ukrainian nation, society, and state. Ukrainian democratic and Russian authoritarian-imperial political visions are essentially mutually exclusive. That means that any ‘freezing’ of the conflict at this or that demarcation line will not lead either to a relief of tensions or to the establishment of sustainable peace.

For Russia, such a freeze would primarily signal the weakness of the West and encourage further aggression and wars that spill the blood of Europeans and Americans. Sustainable peace will come only when, under the combined pressure of Ukraine and its allies, Russia faces a systemic crisis and the defeat of Putin’s regime. As proven by history, tyrannies are fragile.

This war is not confined to Ukraine, nor can the ‘Ukrainian question’ be solved exclusively within the framework of Russian-Ukrainian relations. If the world leaders demand concessions of the territories and sovereignty from Ukraine without providing any effective security guarantees, they will essentially bring about Ukraine’s defeat, which will signal to China and other revisionists that they can seize what they want.

North Korean troops will appear in different hot spots. Piracy, blocking of trade routes, attacks on information systems and global communications will sabotage global trade.

Longstanding efforts to limit the spread of nuclear weapons will be reduced to naught. Russian media influence, cyberattacks, covert operations, and election interference in democratic countries will undermine the world order. And the possible fall of Ukraine would create a large wave of refugees and open the way for Putin to advance farther westward.

On the other hand, an effective end of Russian aggression against Ukraine could be a solution to many problems of the democratic world. Russia’s defeat in its war of aggression against Ukraine would reestablish the order based on rules and interdependence of responsible players. The security of global trade, global nuclear energy, and food security will be strengthened. Terrorist regimes and organizations around the world will lose Russian support and weaken.

Today, Ukraine is buying time for the democratic world to unite and strengthen. But this time is not limitless. The forces defending peace, freedom, and human dignity must go on the offensive. Ukraine and the entire democratic world can only win together or give in and lose together. The illusion of peace at the cost of shame has repeatedly brought on a new war.

The strength of a democracy is the ability to learn from past mistakes. Ukraine, too, has fought—and continues to fight—its way to democracy through trial and error. It is paying an exorbitant price along the way. Each and every one of us has relatives and friends that lost property, their health, or even their lives.

But we understand that the price of war will be even higher if our allies are seduced by the illusion of stopping the war without addressing its causes. And this is not only for Ukraine, but for the entire world. That is why we urge our partners to look for a way not to appease the aggressor, but to win together. 

Evil cannot be appeased. It must be defeated and punished for the sake of a secure future of Ukraine, Europe, and the entire world.

January 5, 2025

Who are among the signatories of the appeal?

Alim Aliyev , Deputy General Director of the Ukrainian Institute, founder of the cultural project "Crimean Fig".

Konstantin Batozsky , political analyst.

Yaryna Boychuk , Executive Director of the UCU Business School.

Mykhailo Honchar , President of the Center for Global Studies "Strategy XXI", Editor-in-Chief of the journal "Black Sea Security".

Hanna Hopko , founder and chairwoman of the board of the NGO "Network for the Protection of National Interests "ANTS"", People's Deputy of Ukraine, chairwoman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (2014-2019).

Volodymyr Gorbach , Executive Director of the Institute for the Transformation of Northern Eurasia.

Yaroslav Hrytsak , professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Ihor Koliushko , Center for Political and Legal Reforms, Chairman of the Board, former People's Deputy of Ukraine.

Serhiy Koshman , public activist.

Oleksiy Kovzhun , media analyst and political consultant.

Natalia Kryvda , Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Head of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.

Oleksandr Novikov , Head of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (2020-2024), preacher of the integrity system and OKR people-centered management.

Olesya Ostrovska-Lyuta , director of the National Cultural, Art and Museum Complex "Art Arsenal".

Bohdan Pankevych , co-founder, member of the Board of the Ukrainian Galician Party.

Oleksiy Panych , professor of philosophy at the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Valeriy Pekar , associate professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Business School and UCU, chairman of the board of the NGO "Decolonization".

Roman Rak , Senior Research Fellow at the Borderland Institute, Editor-in-Chief of NZL Media (TUM).

Yaroslav Rushchyshyn , People's Deputy of Ukraine.

Olena Sotnyk , human rights activist and public figure, People's Deputy of Ukraine (8th convocation).

Taras Stetskiv , politician and public figure, People's Deputy of Ukraine (I-IV and VI convocations).

Oleksandr Sushko , Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation.

Viktoriya Voytsitska , People's Deputy of Ukraine (8th convocation), member of the Energy Committee, Advocacy Director of the International Center for Policy Studies.

Mykola Vyhovsky , public activist.

Yaroslav Yurchyshyn , People's Deputy of Ukraine, Chairman of the Committee on Freedom of Speech.

Olga Aivazovska , head of the Civic Network OPORA.

Andriy Dligach , Doctor of Economics, founder of Advanter Group, Kyiv Foresight Foundation.

Orest Drul , editor.

Oksana Gudzovata , Doctor of Economics, Professor at the UCU Business School.

Yevhen Hlibovytskyi , Director General of the Border Institute.

Valeria Kozlova , associate professor, lecturer at the UCU Business School.

Myroslav Marynovych , former prisoner of conscience (1977-1987).

Oleksandra Matviychuk , human rights activist, chairwoman of the board of the Center for Civil Liberties.

Sofia Opatska , founding dean of the Business School of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Svyatoslav Pavlyuk , Executive Director of the Association "Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine.

Roman Romanov , Director of the Human Rights and Justice Program Initiative of the International Renaissance Foundation.

Vitaliy Rudenkyi , Director of Research and Analytics, Transformation Communication Activity.

Igor Semivolos , Executive Director of the Association for Middle Eastern Studies.

Andriy Zagorodniuk , Chairman of the Board of the Center for Defense Strategies.

Dmytro Zolotukhin , Deputy Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine (2017-2019), founder of the NGO "Institute of Post-Information Society".

Oleksandr Yabchanka , officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, doctor, lecturer at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Yuriy Andrukhovych , writer.

Victoria Antonenko , Chairwoman of the Board of the ArcUA NGO, Executive Editor of Arc.UA.

Roman Bezsmertny , politician, diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Martyna Bohuslavets , Chairman of the Board of the Anti-Corruption Center "BORDER".

Serhiy Bolgov , head of the NGO "Ukrainian Analytical Center u8".

Hanna Bondarenko , head of the Ukrainian Volunteer Service, member of the Council for Youth Affairs under the President of Ukraine.

Kateryna Botanova , cultural researcher, curator, head of the analytical department of the Borderland Institute (Ukraine).

Yegor Brailyan , Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations and Strategic Studies of the Kyiv Aviation Institute, "Detector Media" analyst.

Stepan Burban (Palindrome) , artist, musician.

Yevhen Bystrytsky , Doctor of Philosophy, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Sofia Chelyak , program director of the Lviv International Publishers Forum, journalist, translator, member of the Ukrainian PEN Club.

Yegor Chernev , People's Deputy of Ukraine, Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Roman Chmelyk , director of the Lviv Historical Museum.

Refat Chubarov , Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.

Oleksandr Chudnovets , Chairman of the Council of the public organization "Kyiv Military Historical Society".

Orysia Demska , professor at the National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine.

Larisa Denysenko , human rights activist, writer.

Taras Dobko , Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Petro Dolganov , historian, associate professor of the Department of Teaching Methods of the Rivne Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education.

Oleg Dubiš , Chairman of the Council of the Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and the Board of the Polish-Ukrainian Partnership Fund.

Volodymyr Dubrovsky , Senior Economist, CASE Ukraine.

Dmitry Durnev , journalist.

Oleksandra Dvoretska , human rights activist, founder of the Crimean Human Rights Center "Diya".

Ulyana Dzhurlyak , architect, public activist, co-founder of the "Let's Save the Cities of Ukraine" foundation.

Serhiy Filimonov , founder of the "Honor" movement, commander of the "Da Vinci Wolves" battalion, captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Leonid Finberg , Director of the Center for Judaica of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Oksana Forostina , opinion editor at the website "Ukraine Moderna".

Alena Franchuk , Deputy Director of the Lviv Regional Development Center of the "Ukrainian Leadership Academy".

Vladyslav Grezev , founder of the recruitment platform Lobby X, NGO "Changemakers".

Yuriy Gudymenko , war veteran, statesman and public figure, human rights activist.

Myroslav Gai , head of the "Mir and Co" charitable foundation, officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Serhiy Gaidachuk , President of CEO Club Ukraine.

Olena Galushka , co-founder of the International Center for Ukrainian Victory.

Oleksiy Haran , professor at the National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy".

Ulyana Holovach , Associate Professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Yuriy Holovach , Professor, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Olena Honcharuk , cultural manager, creative director of the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Center — Ukrainian Film Archive.

Bohdan Hud , professor at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, visiting professor at the University of Warsaw.

Serhiy Husak , junior lieutenant of the National Guard of Ukraine, otolaryngologist, musician (band "Nytso Potvorno").

Said Ismagilov , junior lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, former Mufti of Muslims of Ukraine.

Darya Kalenyuk , Anti-Corruption Center.

Zoya Kazanzhi , journalist, writer.

Vakhtang Kebuladze , philosopher, writer, translator.

Roman Kechur , Head of the Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Svitlana Khylyuk , Director of the School of Law of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Andriy Klymenko , Crimean expert and journalist, editor-in-chief of BlackSeaNews, head of the monitoring group of the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies.

Natalia Klymovska , Vice-Rector for Development and Communications of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze , People's Deputy of Ukraine, Chairwoman of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU.

Mykola Kniazhytskyi , People's Deputy of Ukraine.

Olena Kondratyuk , Vice-Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Georgy (Yuriy) Kovalenko , rector of the Open Orthodox University of Saint Sophia-Wisdom, archpriest, Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Vsevolod Kozhemyako , volunteer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, owner of Agrotrade Group, Honorary Consul of Austria in Kharkiv.

Roman Kravets , journalist.

Mykhailo Krykunov , PhD in Economics, Dean of the Kyiv Business School.

Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan "Tavr" Krotevych , Chief of Staff of the 12th Special Forces Brigade "Azov" of the National Guard of Ukraine.

Viktor Kruglov , member of the board of the Ukrainian Association of Publishers and Book Distributors, general director of the Ranok publishing house.

Kyrylo Kryvolap , Managing Partner of Civitta Ukraine, Director of the Center for Economic Recovery.

Volodymyr Kurennoy , People's Deputy of Ukraine (V, VII-VIII convocations).

Ulyana Kirchiv , historian.

Serhiy Kvit , President of the National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy".

Kostyantyn Kvurt , Chairman of the Board of the NGO "Internews-Ukraine".

Bohdan Logvinenko , founder of Ukraїner.

Danylo Lubkivskyi , Director of the Kyiv Security Forum, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2014).

Oleksandr Lysenko , Professor, Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NANU).

Taras Lutyi , Professor, National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy".

Ksenia Maryniak , Ph.D., editor of CIUS.

Yuliy Morozov , co-founder of the NGO "Association of Responsible Citizens" and the HART Military-Civil Recovery Space.

Sevgil Musayeva , editor-in-chief of "Ukrainian Truth".

Oleksiy Mushak , People's Deputy of Ukraine (2014-2019), Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister (2019-2020).

Natalia Mykolska , Executive Director of Diia.City United (technology business association), independent member of the Supervisory Board of Ukrhydroenergo, visionary, expert in strategic transformation and globalization, Trade Representative of Ukraine — Deputy Minister of Economy (2015-2019).

Lana Mytsko , cultural manager, head of the Lviv Municipal Arts Center.

Max Nefyodov , co-founder of the public organization "Technology of Progress".

Volodymyr Ogryzko , Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2007-2009), Director General of the Center for Russian Studies.

Volodymyr Omelyan , General of the Army of Ukraine, Minister of Infrastructure (2016-2019), politician.

Oksana Ovsiyuk , editor-in-chief of the academic website "Ukraine Moderna".

Tetyana Pechonchyk , Chairman of the Board of the ZMINA Human Rights Center.

Inna Pidluska , Deputy Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation.

Viktoriya Podhorna , People's Deputy of Ukraine, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Digital Transformation.

Taras Prokopyshyn , co-founder and CEO of The Ukrainians Media.

Oleksandr Pronkevich , Head of the Department of Philology at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Vadym Prystaiko , diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2019-2020), Deputy Prime Minister, Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Canada, Head of Mission to NATO.

Serhiy Prytula , founder of the Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation.

Victoria Ptashnyk , People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 8th convocation, deputy of the Kyiv City Council.

Oleg Romanchuk , Director of the Institute of Mental Health of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Oleksiy Ryabchyn , Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Protection of Ukraine 2019-20, People's Deputy of Ukraine (2014-19).

Alexander Samarsky , retired ambassador, Center for Russian Studies.

Mariana Savka , writer, editor-in-chief of the "Old Lion Publishing House".

Mykhailo Savva , head of the public organization "Expert Group "Sova", Doctor of Political Sciences.

Oleksandr Shcherba , writer, diplomat.

Akhtem Seitablaev , film director.

Kostyantyn Sigov , Director of the Center for European Humanities Studies of the National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy".

Yevhen Sinkevich , professor, Cherkasy University.

Olga Shapoval , Executive Director of the Kharkiv IT Cluster, Program Manager of the IT4Life Charitable Foundation.

Yuriy Shapoval , Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Head of the Center for Historical Political Research, Institute of Political and Ethno-National Research of the NAS of Ukraine.

Roman Sheremeta , Professor of Economics at Case Western Reserve University, Founding Rector of the American University in Kyiv.

Dmytro Sherengovsky , Vice-Rector for Educational Work of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Iryna Shukhtueva , public activist, curator of art projects.

Hryhoriy Shverk , People's Deputy of Ukraine (VIII convocation).

Ostap Slyvynsky , associate professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University, vice-president of the Ukrainian PEN Club.

Oleksandr Solontay , head of the NGO "Agency for Recovery and Development".

Serhiy Sternenko , volunteer, public activist.

Yevhen Stepanenko , war veteran, writer, author of the book "The ABC of War".

Roman Sulzhyk , former head of JP Morgan, former head of Deutsche Bank.

Ulyana Suprun , Doctor of Medical Sciences, Minister of Health of Ukraine (2016-2019), Editor-in-Chief of the magazine "Black Sea Whale".

Tetyana Silina , editor of the international department of the weekly "Dzerkalo Tyzhnia" (ZN.UA).

Katya Taylor , curator, founder of the NGO "Port of Culture".

Olena Tregub , Executive Director of the NGO "Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO)".

Bohdan Ustymenko , Director of the Institute of National Security.

Jan Valetov , writer.

Valeriy Veremchuk , co-founder of the NGO "People's Self-Defense of Lviv Region", deputy of the Lviv City Council.

Viktor Vovk , associate member of the Club of Rome, People's Deputy of Ukraine, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (2014-2019), member of PACE and OSCE PA (2015-2019).

Taras Vozniak , General Director of the Lviv National Gallery of Arts.

Yehor Vradiy , Deputy Director of the Museum "Memory of the Jewish People and the Holocaust in Ukraine".

Gleb Vyshlinsky , Executive Director of the Center for Economic Strategy.

Oleg Yaskiv , combat officer, professor of physics, film critic, art manager, and lecturer at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Andriy Yermolenko , artist, designer, laureate of the 2024 Shevchenko Prize, military serviceman.

Volodymyr Zabolotovsky , director of the charitable foundation "ASSISTANCE TO THE HEROES OF UKRAINE".

Agiya Zagrebelska , Policy Director, Economic Security Council of Ukraine.

Oleksandr Zaitsev , professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Yevhen Zakharov , human rights activist, director of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group.

Father Andriy Zelinsky, TI , military chaplain, writer, co-founder of the "Ukrainian Leadership Academy".

Mykhailo Zhernakov , Doctor of Law, Executive Director of the DEJURE Foundation.

Yosyf Zisels , Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Ukraine, "December 1st" Initiative Group.