Russia’s ‘Reckless and Dangerous Aggression’ Threaten Ukraine’s Hard-Won Democatic and Human Rights Advances

In response to Vladimir Putin’s military action against Ukraine, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel issued the following statement:

“Ukraine’s hard-won democratic and human rights gains, and its very independence as a nation, risk obliteration as a result of Russia’s reckless and dangerous aggression. The Kremlin’s brazen effort to deflect responsibility for this crisis by persisting with false narratives that have already been exposed and debunked represents a new low in global efforts to obfuscate the truth and cloak motives and methods in lies. We stand with writers, intellectuals, artists, journalists, activists, and all those in Ukraine and the region who have written or spoken out against the abuses of the Putin regime and now face mortal danger. We defend those who have spoken out for the truth, exposed disinformation, and sought to uphold human rights and international law amid an unprecedented assault on these pillars of a peaceful and human world. We demand that Putin and his regime cease this reprehensible assault and uphold Ukraine’s sovereign right to territorial integrity and democratic self-determination. We call on the international community to support and protect those who may be targeted by Russian forces, and hold all those who perpetrate rights violations to account.”

February 24, 2022