Open Letter to Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, USA and Europe.

Mr President Vladimir Putin,

Mr President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,

Mr President Joe Biden,

Ladies and Gentlemen, Presidents, and Prime Ministers of Europe and the United Kingdom,

As a result of the war in Ukraine, the world is standing on edge of a third world war, which could lead to a catastrophe such as humanity has never seen before.

The war in Ukraine is the gravest challenge in many decades to the level of civilization that humanity has attained after centuries of struggling and decades spent since the Second World War in building a new world based on international peace and order and international institutions intended to preserve both.

Therefore, we undersigned to this open letter ask you to uphold international law and use diplomacy as a necessary instrument to put an end to this war and to find a negotiated solution that ensures the freedom of the Ukrainian people and the continuity of peace between Russia and the peoples of Europe and the rest of the world. We suggest that the leadership of all the engaged states participate in these negotiations.

In parallel to these diplomatic negotiations, we also suggest the formation of a committee of thinkers, political scientists, and experts on international law and conflict resolution from the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Russia that will come together to deliberate toward the end of identifying and presenting durable ideas that for living in peace and for eliminating the potentiality of future armed conflict. These deliberations could be organized and conducted under the auspices of the World Forum on Peace and Security, based in Sweden, and the European Institute for International Law and International Relations, based in Brussels.

Signed by:

• James Bacchus: Professor of Global Affairs and Director of the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity at the University of Central Florida. He was a founding judge and was twice the Chairman – the chief judge – of the highest court of world trade, the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. And former member of USA congress.
• Klaus Buchner: Former Member of European Parliament and Professor at Munich University, Germany.
• Richard D. Anderson Jr.: Professor Emeritus and Research Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is former CIA officer – working in national security affairs analysis in particular the Soviet Union era.
• Rogers M. Smith: American political scientist and author, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Alexander Etkind: Professor and the Chair of Russia-Europe relations at the European University Institute and senior fellow of European Institute for International Law and International Relations.
• Kenneth Prewitt: Professor of Social Affairs at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
• Christopher Adolph: Professor of Political Science at the University of Washington, United States of America.
• Martin John Smith: Professor of Politics, and Head of Department of Politics, University of York, United Kingdom.
• Morris P. Fiorina: Professor of Political Science and a Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
• Brendan O’Leary: Irish political scientist, Lauder Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Patrick Paul Walsh: Professor of International Development Studies and an elected member of the Governing Authority in University College Dublin.
• Eileen M. Hunt: Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame, United States of America.
• Dov Waxman: Professor of Political Science and The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair of Israel Studies the University of California.
• Sharyn L. O’Halloran: George Blumenthal Professor of Political Economy and Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in the City of New York.
• Howard Rosenthal: Professor Emeritus, New York University Roger Williams Straus, Professor of Social Sciences, Emeritus, Princeton University
• Brigitte Nacos: Adjunct Professor of Political Science Columbia University and journalist also political scientist, and author.
• Andy Knight: Distinguished Professor, Faculty of Arts – Political Science Department, Alberta University, Canada.
• Michael Gilligan: Professor of Politics and Director of Undergraduate Studies, New York University.
• Pasquale Pasquino: Global Distinguished Professor, Department of Politics, New York University.
• Jean Grugel: Professor of Development Politics, Department of Politics, University of York, United Kingdom.
• Giulio M. Gallarotti: Professor of Government at Wesleyan University and Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Columbia University.
• Jeffrey Edward Green: Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania.
• Terence M. Garrett: Professor of Political Science (Public Affairs and Security), University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
• Sagar Deva: Lecturer, Department of Politics University of York, United Kingdom.
• Nathaniel Boyd: Rethinking Civil Society: History, Theory, Critique Dept of Politics University of York.
• Kirk Randazzo: Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of South Carolina.
• Mahmoud Refaat: President of the European Institute of International Law and International Relations and Secretary General of the World Forum on Peace and Security.