The appeal seeks to pressure governments to release frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.

In the appeal the Nobel laureates write for example:

“Following the change of power resulting from the US presidential election, promises  and calls for negotiations and peace agreements are growing louder. Hope may rise that this relentless war may come to an end through fair peace talks. Yet even if that happens, Ukraine remains a country devastated in many areas. The dead cannot be brought back, and the suffering endured in the past cannot be undone. But the future can and must be better.” 

“The reconstruction of Ukraine and compensation of war victims will require substantial financial resources. And who, if not the perpetrator of this unlawful war, should  bear responsibility for restitution?“

“In total, there is currently a worldwide capital of the Russian Central Bank of an estimated EUR 300 billion frozen as a result of sanctions. This amount is held in accounts worldwide, but mainly in the EU and G7 countries, namely Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United States and the United Kingdom. This money continues to generate additional billions through interest. However, the interest alone will not cover the estimated app. USD 486 billion in recovery costs, nor the compensation owed to victims of Russia’s war – only using the principal of the EUR 300 billion will.”

The goal is to end the war, establish a just peace, and provide Ukraine with a future perspective for generations to come. We stand by this cause with our voices.

“We, the Nobel Laureates who have signed this appeal, call on these governments to release these funds from the Russian Central Bank to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine and  compensation of war victims so that the country can be rapidly rebuilt after a peace agreement is reached. This might require new regulations and laws, which, given the undeniable emergency and gross violations of international law, are appropriate and must be amended. The goal is to end the war, establish a just peace, and provide Ukraine with a future perspective for generations to come. We stand by this cause with our voices.” 

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The Nobel laureates’ appeal was submitted on Wednesday to the Ukrainian human rights organization CCL, the Center for Civil Rights, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 (together with the Russian Memorial, which was banned in Russia in 2021).