Russian Opera Singer Anna Netrebko’s return to the Royal Opera House is very distressing for Ukrainians and supporters of democracy. Her alignment with the Putin regime and support for pro-Russian separatists is well-documented. In 2014, she financially aided the Donetsk Opera during its illegal occupation and performed at a Kremlin concert in 2021 without condemning the regime. 

Though she now claims to be beyond politics, she endorsed Putin’s election in 2012 and later expressed that criticising him during the 2022 invasion was unwise. Her tenure at the Metropolitan Opera/New York ended due to her inadequate distancing from her political views. 

Allowing her to perform undermines democratic values and solidarity with victims of Russian aggression and grants a platform to someone aligned with a regime responsible for numerous war crimes. 

We, the undersigned, urge the Royal Opera House to cancel her performance in the name of moral responsibility. By doing so, the Royal Opera House would send a clear message that it opposes Russian Imperialism and is on the side of democracy, freedom and dignity.