The faculty in the Department of German and Russian Studies at Bates College condemns Russia’s military attack on Ukraine. It is our duty as scholars to stand against the ahistorical and hegemonic narratives being used to legitimize Russia’s invasion of a sovereign country. We also want to emphasize that the current aggression does not reflect the opinion of all Russian citizens who express their opposition to Putin’s declaration of war on Ukraine, both in the Russian Federation and worldwide. We stand in solidarity with Bates students and alumni from Ukraine and of Ukrainian heritage who are directly affected by these events. We also invite all our students to reach out to us for conversation and support.