Dear readers,
The crisis in Ukraine broaches the most essential questions of our time: questions of human rights, national sovereignty, cultural autonomy, geopolitics and the role of morality in foreign policy. To address these questions, and to express our solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine who support freedom and pluralism, Timothy Snyder and I are convening a distinguished group of Western intellectuals and activists (Adam Michnik, Bernard Henri Levy, Bernard Kouchner, Timothy Garton Ash, and many others) in Kiev this week, where we will engage in public discussions of these urgent themes with our Ukrainian counterparts. The event is called Ukraine:Thinking Together, and it will take place in Kiev from May 15 to May 19.
The New Republic, whose coverage of the Ukrainian crisis has been widely admired, is honored to be a partner in this important gathering. I hear that there is a great deal of excitement in Kiev and elsewhere about the event, which will be covered on NewRepublic.com. We cannot just sit back and watch Putin's imperialism and repression. There are times and places where one must stand up and be counted.
More from Kiev —
Leon Wieseltier