On Feb 24, 2022, the world, as we knew it, changed when Russia invaded the peaceful democratic country of Ukraine, starting a full scale war. Backed by false propaganda and strategies reminiscent of Nazi Germany, Russia is killing unarmed civilians, including women, children, husbands, and parents. Russia is bombing children’s hospitals, maternity hospitals, schools, churches, and our homes, brazenly violating human rights and laws. The Russians are even denying humanitarian bridges to allow civilians to get medicine, food, and water, or to escape to safety.

We, along with our colleagues throughout Ukraine, are under constant fire and shelling from Russian troops. Many have lost contact for days with friends and family in cities such as Mariupol and towns around Kyiv. Five or six times, every day, I (IP) have had to rush down to the bomb shelter to avoid artillery rounds and missiles, as well as weapons forbidden by international law, such as cluster and thermobaric bombs.

Since the invasion began, we have been fighting for the very existence of our country as well as our lives and the lives of our families and friends. Sadly, this fight is not just for Ukraine, but also for the rest of Europe and the whole world, as we now know it. Sadly also, for whatever reason, Russian scientists and our clinical colleagues in Russia appear to be silently watching the slaughter in Ukraine. None of these colleagues has overtly condemned the war, the war crimes, and the actions of their president, government, and country. Their silence represents a false pretense that this war is not happening and that they support the actions of the Russian government. This is simply unacceptable to Ukraine and the civilised world.

Because of the immoral, belligerent behaviour of the Russian government and the failure of our Russian psychiatric colleagues to adhere to the most basic standards of ethics, we respectfully request that the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) suspend the Russian Association of Psychiatry. For the moment, the Russians have shown that they are not worthy to be counted amongst our colleagues and to participate in our shared responsibility to meet our ethical obligations to protect the health and safety of our fellow human beings.

As our personal safety and country remain in serious jeopardy, we look forward to hearing that you and our WPA colleagues have made the right and ethical decision. We are strong and proud to defend ourselves, but we also depend on the moral and material support of friends and colleagues from around the world. God Bless Ukraine!