Let us stop Putin!

In spring, the Russian Federation annexed Crimea. Now it encourages and supports separatist guerrillas in eastern Ukraine and this support is gradually turning into an open aggression. It is a striking breach of the political accord concluded in 1994 in Budapest, in which three powers – the United States, Great Britain and the Russian Federation – pledged to respect the independence and state sovereignty of Ukraine within the current borders and to refrain from economic pressure and use of force against Ukraine.

However, the current Russian policy does not only concern Ukraine. It poses a threat to the political order of the CEE region which formerly belonged into the Russian sphere of influence. After the end of the cold war, Czechs and Slovaks won freedom, democracy and state sovereignty again.

It is in the common interest of us all to take a joint action in the current crisis caused by Russia and to prevent destabilization of the Central and Central-Eastern Europe, which is our common home. We also realize that this can only be achieved in close partnership with our allies in the EU, NATO and the United States. The nations of our region were not exactly successful in defining our joint interests in the past, which made us twice the victims of ruthless power struggles. We would like to make amends for it. Therefore, we ask our western allies in the EU and NATO, as well as the US, to defend the political stability, freedom and democracy in Central and Central Eastern Europe more determinedly than before. Simultaneously, we appeal to the governments and politicians of our countries to show solidarity with our western allies – we regret to state that this has not been the case so far.

We ask those who agree with us to join us.

Bohumil Doležal, former secretary of the Democratic Initiative, Charter 77 signatory, former member of the Czechoslovak parliament and chief adviser to Prime Minister Klaus, political scientist and journalist

Luboš Dobrovský, Charter 77 signatory, former Czechoslovak minister of defense and former Czech ambassador to Russia.

Martin Bútora, sociologist, co-founder of Verejnost proti násilí movement, former Slovak ambassador to the United States

Miroslav Kusý, Charter 77 signatory, philosopher and political scientist

Luděk Niedermayer, member of the European Parliament, former vice-governor of the Czech National Bank

Grigorij Mesežnikov, political scientist and journalist, president of Public Issues Institute

Martin Palouš, former spokesman of Charter 77 movement, former Czech ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, university teacher

Pavel Svoboda, member of the European Parliament

Jaromír Štětina, member of the European Parliament

Karel Štindl, former vice-chair of the Democratic Initiative, university teacher, former Czech ambassador to Poland and Ukraine

Prague and Bratislava, September 4, 2014