Address of Kyiv University Rector Borys Grinchenko to colleagues in the South and East of Ukraine

To teachers, scientists and students of the East and South of Ukraine Dear friends!

You know that during the most difficult days of dispersing the peaceful Euromaidan, I and my colleagues strongly condemned the use of force against students, and this gives us the moral right to appeal to you. Now the future of the Ukrainian people is being decided, we have a historic chance to become a modern, competitive political nation.

Thanks to hundreds of thousands of caring people, including your colleagues and students of many universities, the Maidan overcame the criminal-oligarchic regime, which, with the support of Russia, destroyed our state, destroyed Ukrainian education and science, and is now doing everything to turn southeastern Ukraine into a marginalized and criminalized territory. I am sure that you do not want this, that you know the real price of freedom and democracy, that you understand where our future lies. Do not sit silently, declare your decisive position, do not let the puppets intoxicated by Russian propaganda and bought by Putin’s regime lead Ukraine into chaos and fratricide, stop the federalists and adventurers who have appropriated the right to decide our destinies for you and your children, for all of us, and sold themselves to the enemy. There are tens of thousands of you, dear friends, and if you unite and say decisively: «NO to terrorism and separatism!», we will quickly build the country we dream of, overcome corruption, elect a government that will serve its people, and have a dignified life and freedom.

With faith, hope and love, we will win! Don’t be afraid!

Rector of Kyiv University named after Boris Grinchenko, academician
Victor Ognevyuk