Russian Troops Must Withdraw from Ukraine Immediately!

Russian forces launched an invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Their attacks have reached civilian facilities, including universities, expanding far beyond military installations. As a result, many civilians have died alongside soldiers on both sides. These Russian military actions violate the UN Charter, which stipulates human rights and the principle of non-use of force. Therefore, Russia’s series of actions is a serious affront to the rule of law.

Here in Japan, some politicians and others advocate sharing nuclear weapons with other nations and revising Article 9 of the Constitution, claiming that the UN and Article 9 of the Constitution are useless. However, such a path returns to the barbaric era controlled by force. Russia's aggression against Ukraine is absolutely unacceptable; however, behind this conflict, we need to pay attention to the military rivalry that exists between the major powers, as reflected in the expansion of NATO. In addition, as President Vladimir Putin of Russia is proceeding with the invasion by using nuclear threats, the problems of nuclear deterrence have become visible. In this crisis, Japan should firmly support the historical efforts to outlaw war that people from all over the world have been engaging in for a long time. The nation must conduct peace diplomacy promoting disarmament, which is guaranteed under Article 9 of the Constitution. Consequently, the government needs to sign and ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 

Words cannot directly stop tanks, but they also justify war. This applies not only to the attacks on Ukraine at this time but also to other wars and conflicts. People worldwide, including in both Ukraine and Russia, are raising their voices for peace under difficult circumstances. Along with them, we call for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. Grounded in our university’s founding philosophy of “Awe to God, Love to Humankind,” we believe it is our mission to educate students to become world citizens who can humbly learn to understand and respect others and seek the peace and welfare of the entire world.

March 7th, 2022

Faculty and Staff at Nagoya Gakuin University

Taro Abe

Shigeaki Iijima

Yukihiro Enosawa

Kunihiko Ohishi

Minako Kamiyama

Natsuko Saeki

Masaaki Satake

Masahiko Tsuchiya

Kazumi Hasegawa

Makoto Nakajima

Kiyoshi Miyasaka

Shintaro Yanagawa

(As of 17:30 p.m., March 9, 2022)