March 16, 2022

Dear colleagues,

On February 24, 2022 Russia started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

We believe that the entire Russian society should be held collectively responsible for the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Ukraine.

Therefore, on February 28, 2022 we appeal to IFLA President and IFLA Governing Board to support Ukrainian librarians and exclude the Russian Library Association and all institutions of the aggressor country Russia from IFLA members, and their representatives from all IFLA governing bodies.

Unfortunately, we have not received any response to our appeal.

We know that the same requests for exclusion and termination of cooperation with representatives of the Russian Federation to the IFLA came from other members. And we are infinitely grateful to all who support us in such a difficult time.

On March 1, 2022, there was published a Statement on the IFLA website which expresses solidarity with Ukrainian colleagues, deep concern about the "situation" and "conflict" in Ukraine, as well as appeals to colleagues from other countries to support refugees from Ukraine. In this Statement, IFLA calls for the dissemination of truthful information, but Russia is not even recognized as an aggressor.

We want to declare once again and inform the IFLA leadership that there is not just an armed conflict in Ukraine, but a full-scale bloody war of the Russian Federation against the Ukrainian people and the State of Ukraine.

Today is the 21st day of this brutal unjustified war of Russia.

Russia is committing genocide against Ukrainians in central Europe in the 21st century. The Russian army is bombing schools, libraries, universities, hospitals, maternity hospitals, and neighborhoods. Many Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages have had a humanitarian catastrophe. People are sitting in basements without heat, light, food, and water. The Russian occupiers do not provide green corridors for the withdrawal of civilians. Hundreds of people die as well as children do.

We consider that the silence and neutrality of the IFLA leadership is unacceptable.

We insist on our appeal to exclude the Russian Library Association and all institutions of the aggressor country Russia from IFLA members, and their representatives from all IFLA governing bodies.

We ask the IFLA President and the IFLA Governing Board to provide an official response to our request as soon as possible.

Best regards,

Oksana Brui, President

Larysa Luhova, Vice President

Svitlana Moiseeva, Vice President

Yaroslava Soshynska, Executive Director

Ukrainian Library Association