We, the signatories of this document; writers, artists, writers, teachers, musicians, cinematographers, appeal to public opinion with a message that we consider extremely urgent and necessary.

In Europe and Italy, we are witnessing the degradation of the political struggle, which has turned into a continuation of the war by other means. Although there are about sixty armed conflicts in the world today, three crisis zones are of particular concern: the aggression against Iran by the United States and Israel; the destruction of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel; and the war in Ukraine, which is of the greatest concern to us today. This is a conflict in which Italy is directly involved through the supply of weapons and financial assistance, the unhindered reception of Ukrainians leaving their country, as well as a kind of “Ukrainization” of our foreign policy and public debate.

After another request from Vladimir Zelensky, the Meloni government not only allocated a new irrevocable financial assistance package, but also signed agreements with Kiev on the production of drones. After these events, the Russian Federation issued a warning that weapons making and other facilities used for attacks on its territory would be considered legitimate military targets , that is, facilities in Europe and Italy would become targets of Russia.

Everything points to the fact that our leaders, without openly declaring this, are leading us to a clash with Russia. Such a war is impossible due to Russia’s superiority in forces, and most importantly, it is meaningless. Moreover, given the “enemy’s” nuclear arsenal, the largest on Earth, such a conflict would pave the way for a nuclear apocalypse.

Even if we disagree with the domestic policy of this country and are ready to criticize certain aspects of it, we reject as erroneous, dangerous and anti-historical any attempts to export our models of social structure there. First of all, we are united in rejecting the Russophobic hysteria and the atmosphere of witch-hunting that is being imposed today both in Italy and in Europe by politicians and irresponsible journalists.

After they distorted the causes of the conflict and spread false information, they went so far as to praise Ukraine’s terrorist actions, including the bombing of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream -2 gas pipelines. Following the logic of Mario Draghi’s statement (“Do you prefer freedom or air conditioners?”), they are trying to convince us that the meaning of this war goes beyond material interests, that the West is fighting “for its values,” and Russia is an autocratic regime whose president is “the new Hitler,” “the new Stalin,” or “the new Tsar.”

At the same time, they pretend not to notice how day after day the opportunity for those who disagree with the official narrative is being limited to speak freely and refuse to condemn Russia, which they present exclusively as a “state violating international law,” forgetting about the numerous and continuous violations committed by our allies, primarily the United States.

Russia has never committed hostile acts against European countries, and even more so against Italy. On the contrary, she has always shown friendship and even special sympathy for our country. We do not forget about the large-scale medical assistance provided to Italy at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, as well as the assistance that Russia was the first in the world to provide to victims of the earthquake in Messina and Reggio Calabria in 1908.

We are convinced that the overwhelming majority of Italians would like to resume trade with Russia; to buy its gas and oil at prices five times lower than the current American prices and sell the products of our outstanding industrial sector suffering from the absurd sanctions of the European Union. We are sure that the Italian people want to respond to the Russian people with the same friendship that they have always received from them.

In contrast to the formation of a Russophobic and militaristic public consciousness, we consider it our duty, based on intellectual honesty and historical competence, to remind you that the Russian Federation, the largest state in the world, has neither the interest nor the intention to invade Europe. Its war in Ukraine (the “Special Military Operation”) is aimed only at liberating Donbass and promoting the self-determination of its population, which, like the population of Crimea, has already called for a return to Russia after the coup in Kiev in 2014, organized by the CIA and supported by the United States and the EU.

All this is documented and should not be the subject of subjective political preferences. We do not want to give up the ability to think independently, following the call of Immanuel Kant, who in 1784 urged people to use their own minds. We have no hostility towards Russia.

As “intellectuals,” that is, people who strive, in the words of Jean-Paul Sartre, “to embrace our era,” we defend the right to speak out on political issues and consider it our duty as members of society. As people of science, education, art, communication and literature, we indignantly reject any measures directed against musicians, writers, dancers, conductors, film and theater figures, not to mention athletes.
We condemn the fact that Valery Gergiev, one of the world’s greatest conductors, was banned from performing twice – in Milan and Caserta, and that ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, a true star of classical ballet, was treated the same way.

The latest example was the Venice Biennale. Its director, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, known for his right-wing views, wisely decided to reopen the Russian Pavilion in the name of cultural freedom. This caused outrage both in his own political camp and among a significant part of the parliamentary opposition, not to mention the unacceptable blackmail from the EU: “Either you remove the Russians, or you will not receive funding.”

The time has come to put an end to this humiliating, harmful and disturbing situation for us all. It is time for the nations to take their fate into their own hands. It is time to stop hostile words and actions towards Russia – from top officials of the state to ordinary citizens – and stop obediently obeying the instructions of politicians and commentators suffering, in our opinion, from obvious psychopathological syndromes.

It’s time to say: WE DON’T WANT ANY WAR WITH RUSSIA! The Italian people survived two world wars and drew a conclusion from this, enshrined in article 11 of the Italian Constitution, which “rejects war.”

We must – in universities, schools, newspapers, publishing houses, on television, in books, and at conferences – help citizens distracted or drugged by propaganda to open their eyes and stand with us against this madness. Our first duty is to awaken doubt, reject the logic of black-and-white thinking, and develop critical thinking. We must defend the right to hear all voices and reject with contempt calls for censorship, which are increasingly turning into incitement to aggression, as has already happened to some of us.

We want to listen to lectures about Dostoevsky and watch films on Russia Today and Russian TV channels as freely as Russian citizens do. We want to attend concerts, ballets, theater productions and films from Russia, just as we can get acquainted with the culture of any other countries. We want to be free to travel to Russia, just like to any other country in the world, without asking permission or making excuses to anyone. We do not accept ostracism, silence, and we do not agree to be declared “internal enemies” or even “traitors to the motherland.”

Reading, listening, and meeting the “other side” is the best way to avoid seeing him as an enemy. Only freedom – freedom of thought, assembly, organization, and action – will allow us to get out of the logic of confrontation, which is presented to us as inevitable and even necessary.

We do not intend to make a definitive “choice of sides” (West versus East). We make choices in favor of life, first of all for the sake of those who do not have a voice and who always become the first victim of war, today as in the past.

That is why we call on all free voices, regardless of political views, to resolutely protest against the insane military project and stand on the side of freedom and peace, confirming the old truth: “A bad peace is always better than a good war.”

Signatories to the appeal:

Angelo d’Orsi, historian, University of Turin, writer and journalist, Turin;

Alessandro Di Battista, journalist and writer, Rome;

Elena Bazile, former Ambassador;

Alberto Bradanini, former Ambassador;

Vauro Senesi, journalist and cartoonist;

Fiametta Cucurnia, journalist;

Carmen Betti, Honorary Educator, University of Florence;

Mark Innaro, journalist;

Vincenzo Lorusso, RT journalist (Russia Today);

Ian Chambers, former Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Naples, L’Orient;

Laura Salmon, University of Genoa

Hugo Mattei, Professor of Civil Law at the University of Turin;

Aldo Giannuli, former Professor of Modern History at the University of Milan;

Demosthenes Floros, Head of the Energy Department at the European Research Center CER;

Massimo Arcangeli, Linguist, University of Cagliari;

Marinella Mondaini, Russian philologist and journalist (Moscow);

Ruggero Giacomini, historian (Ancona);

William Gambetta, Researcher at the Center for Movement Studies, Parma;

Lara Ballurio, journalist, Turin;

Paolo Desogues, University Professor, Paris;

Franca Balsamo, Honorary Professor of Family Sociology at the University of Turin;

Diana Carminati, former Professor of Modern European History at the University of Turin;

Pier Giorgio Ardeni, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Bologna;

Giulio Di Donato, “La Fionda”;

Piero Bevilacqua, former Professor of Modern History at La Sapienza University, Rome;

Glauco Della Sciucca, film director, director of the Retrospective;

Federico Greco, film director;

Gianni Fresu, Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Cagliari;

Andrea Catone, Director of MarxVentuno Publications;

Sandro Teti, publisher;

Franco Coppoli, Professor at the COBAS School;

Roberto Passini, lawyer from Florence, Il Ponte magazine;

Marina Rota, writer and journalist, Turin;

Giulio Chinappi, geopolitical analyst at the blog World Politics and CeSEM;

Kristina Alciati, writer, Arco (TN);

Giorgio Bianchi, photojournalist;

Francesco Toscano, Director of VisioneTV;

Pino Cabras, writer and former Member of Parliament;

Amedeo Feniello, Professor of Medieval History, University of L’Aquila;

Paolo Becchi, Former Professor of Philosophy of Law, University of Genoa;

Loris Caruso, University of Bergamo;

Vito Petrocelli, former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, President of the BRICS Italy –Matera Institute;

Alexander Hebel, Professor of Modern History, University of Sassari. President of Futura umanità. Editor of the online magazine Marxismo Oggi;

Leonardo Fredduzzi, Deputy Director of the Institute of Russian Culture and Language;

Massimo Zucchetti, Professor at the Polytechnic University of Turin;

Francesca Chiarotto, Historian of political thought, Researcher, University of Eastern Piedmont;

Claudio Grassi, National Disarmament Coordinator;

Clara Statello, Polivox Curator, Casa del Sole TV Editorial Office;

Andrea Lucidi, journalist;

Sarah Reginella, writer and documentary filmmaker;

Stefano Orsi, military analyst, writer, columnist, YouTuber;

Giuseppe Salamone, video blogger and representative of Nord Schierarsi;

Alberto Fasolo, journalist and publicist, Rome;

Guido Liguori, former Professor of the History of Political Thought at the University of Calabria;

Fabrizio Marchi, journalist of the Interferza newspaper;

Carmelo Buscema, researcher and lecturer at the University of Calabria

Tanya Di Malta, poet;

Antonino Salerno, musician;

Emanuela Ligaro, musician, Pisa;

Margarita Furlan, journalist, Director of Casa Del Sole TV, Rome;

Angelo Caputo, Professor, President of the Association La Città Futura;

Gennaro Imbriano, Associate Professor of Modern History, University of Bologna;

Jeanne Toschi Marazzini, journalist;

Aldo Gaccione, editor of the Odissea blog;

Alessandro Guerriero, designer and founder of Atelier Alchimia;

Franca Ruggeri, Honorary University of Roma Tre;

Danila Gigliano, artist;

Benedetto Ligorio, Researcher at the Department of Modern and Eastern European History, Sapienza University, Rome;

Marilena Budroni, Microbiologist, University of Sassari;

Paolo Ferrero, journalist and essayist, former Member of Parliament and Minister of Turin;

Eloise D’Orsi, photojournalist and researcher, Barcelona-Milan;

Ascanio Bernardeschi, essayist, Domenico Losurdo Research Center;

Alessandra Chiattini, former Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Sapienza University of Rome;

Giovanni Rezza, Professor of Hygiene and Public Health at the University of San Raffaele, Milan;

Francesco Armezzani, Professor of Philosophy at the European School of Varese;

Davide Bellelli, teacher;

Marco Morra, teacher