We, Russian-speaking citizens and residents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, oppose the war started by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine.

We feel the need to publicly state our position in order to stop any possible encroachment on the sovereignty of our countries on behalf of the Russian authorities in the future and in Ukraine in the present.

The invasion of the territory of Ukraine is unreasonable and has no justification. War is evil in its most heinous form, and we will always side with the victims of violence.

We are worried that the war initiated by the Russian authorities will nullify many years of continuous work done by communities of national minorities throughout the post-Soviet space. The results of our efforts to develop intercultural dialogue within our countries and maintain friendship and mutual understanding between the Russian-speaking population and representatives of the titular nations are now under threat. The reason for this is the foreign policy of the Russian Federation, and not the domestic policy of our countries.

Being Russian-speaking citizens of the Baltic countries, we live and work on an equal footing with other representatives of our nations. We do not need to be "saved" in our states we have the right to vote, the right to self-determination, the opportunity to learn our native language and culture, and the right to choose our government on an equal basis with other citizens. Any interference by external forces that calls into question the sovereignty of our countries is unacceptable.

We will make every effort to prevent internal strife in our community, standing next to our fellow citizens and supporting Ukraine and its people in all available ways. Thus, we preserve the basis for further respectful, trusting peaceful relations between people of different nationalities in Europe, especially between Russian speakers and representatives of the nations.

We are aware of our privilege to freely protest against the war and express our support to those who dare to do the same, risking their lives in Russia and Belarus. We hope that our support and solidarity will inspire them to further express their civic position in relation to military operations in Ukraine.

For real help to the Russian-speaking population in the Baltic countries, we demand:

1)Immediate cessation of hostilities on the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine;
2) Recognition and respect for the territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state;
3) Guarantor of maintaining the inviolability of the sovereignty of all states of the post-Soviet space;
4) Full compliance by the governments of Russia and Belarus with the 9th, 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st articles * of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights in relation to their own citizens.

Only if these requirements are complied with, is it possible to maintain inter-ethnic communication and trust of the Russian-speaking population between each other, and between representatives of other national groups. We believe that peaceful ways to end the conflict are still available. #NoToWar