YPO Global Board of Directors,

YPO Senior Leadership,

We, the undersigned YPO Members, request the leaders of our Organization, especially the Chairman and the Board of Directors, to officially condemn the Russian aggression against Ukraine and war as a tool of conflict resolution. Driven by deeply human and humanitarian need and sensitivity, we hope that the leaders of our Organization will show solidarity with the initiatives started across the globe.

We realize that YPO was created as an “apolitical” organization and should remain as such. However, there are moments when politics end, and ethics begin. When children are dying, when innocent civilians are being murdered in large numbers, we are no longer facing a political issue. Saying nothing equals supporting the criminals. We must not keep silent.

We are writing this letter on the 79th anniversary of the uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto, when the soulless nazi laws lead to killing so many innocents. Many people then too kept silent: they did not want to get involved in "politics".

As stated in the YPO Bylaws and the purposes of the organization the YPO proclaims publicly: ”we are the global leadership community […] driven by the shared belief that the world needs better leaders. We come together in YPO to become better leaders and better people. Through YPO, we are inspired and supported to make a difference in the lives, businesses and the world we impact”[1].

In our opinion, real leadership in these difficult days requires to speak up when people are being killed. Standing against evil is our duty, as leaders, as YPOers and simply as humans.

It is heartbreaking to see the heavy casualties and the loss of many innocent lives resulting from this unjustified act of war.

Above all, we are sure there is no place in the 21st century for the use of force and coercion to change frontiers. Tensions and conflicts should only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. That is why we join the numerous appeals of international organizations, leaders of the free world states and millions of people around the world, calling on Russia to cease hostilities immediately, to unconditionally withdraw all forces and military equipment from Ukraine, and to fully respect the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. We recognize Ukraine's right to choose its own destiny and we commend the Ukrainian people for their courage in defending their country.

The whole world is watching the situation in Ukraine with attention and concern. Even countries far from the Ukrainian border are feeling the economic effects of this conflict, as exemplified by rising electricity and fuel prices. The economic issues related to the war in Ukraine should be discussed and certain actions should be definitely undertaken in the future. However, at the very moment it is not the economic situation that makes all what is happening in Ukraine important to us.

Foremost, the events in Ukraine go to the heart of the fundamental norms of international law, especially the UN Charter, which prohibit the use of force and acts of aggression against another sovereign state. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a clear violation of international norms and a completely unacceptable precedent. A world order cannot be based on “might is right”, or “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”. Such ”rules” are unacceptable in terms of the values our Organization should stand for. We cannot accept one country attacking another without justification. Such a rationale would go against the internationally recognized legitimacy and the territorial integrity of many countries, including those represented by the YPO Members.

Therefore, we expect the YPO leaders to adopt an official statement on behalf of the entire organization in which they: 1) condemn Russia's military actions in Ukraine as an illegal use of military force against the territorial integrity of another sovereign state; 2) call for an end to hostilities, withdrawal of troops by the Russian Federation and Russia's recognition of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity; 3) take steps to suspend and possibly exclude from our organization those members who are leaders of Russian organizations that are subject to sanctions imposed by the US Federal Government or international organizations such as the UN and the EU; 4) incorporate the issue of the conflict in Ukraine into the London Converge Agenda to be held in London on May 16-18, 2022, while inviting representatives from Ukraine to attend.

We hope that our appeal will receive positive feedback and lead to making a clear statement on the Russian Federation's attack on Ukraine, as required by the Organization's statutory objectives, as well as a sense of leadership in influencing the shape of the world in which we live and operate.

We invite you to Poland and Ukraine to personally witness atrocities of this unjust war. To see the sad eyes of refugees who have lost everything. We believe that once you see it, you will know what needs to be done.

Respectfully yours,

YPO Members

[1] See Article II sec. A of the YPO Bylaws, as well as purposes of organization described on YPO’s webpage: https://www.ypo.org/what-is-ypo/