The European Mammal Foundation (EMF) expresses its deepest concern over the invasion of Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation. This unprovoked war against the citizens of Ukraine, which is still continuing, has resulted in thousands of deaths, enormous destruction and the displacement of millions of refugees. It is a disaster for the whole of Europe.

Our pan-European project work relies on international cooperation between scientists, regardless of the political and economic frameworks within which they work, and we believe our project is an excellent example of international cooperation. Unfortunately, that cooperation has been put under severe threat by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

We offer our full support and sympathy to our colleagues and friends and all the people in Ukraine. While the EMF is a non-political scientific organisation, it can work effectively only when countries observe the principles of the UN Charter, and that is why we have taken the decision to suspend, for the time being, our co-operation with Russia and Belarus.  

Although Russia is becoming increasingly isolated, we know that many Russians do not support this war. We should not assume that the Russian government speaks for all Russian scientists. Many, including members of the scientific community, have been brave enough to voice their objections publicly, despite the introduction of draconian laws severely limiting free speech. We hope that people will continue to speak out against this mindless war and that, in time, scientific cooperation can resume.

European Mammal Foundation
April 2022