Editorial: The ESCRS Condemns in the Strongest Terms the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

GUEST EDITORIAL

Oliver Findl

MEDICAL EDITORS

Thomas Kohnen Chief Medical Editor

José Güell Paul Rosen

INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL BOARD

Noel Alpins (Australia), Bekir Aslan (Turkey), Roberto Bellucci (Italy), Hiroko Bissen-Miyajima (Japan), John Chang (China), Béatrice Cochener-Lamard (France), Oliver Findl (Austria), Nino Hirnschall (Austria), Soosan Jacob (India), Vikentia Katsanevaki (Greece), Daniel Kook (Germany), Boris Malyugin (Russia), Marguerite McDonald (USA), Cyres Mehta (India), Sorcha Ní Dhubhghaill (Ireland), Rudy Nuijts (The Netherlands), Leigh Spielberg (The Netherlands), Sathish Srinivasan (UK), Robert Stegmann (South Africa), Ulf Stenevi (Sweden), Marie-José Tassignon (Belgium), Manfred Tetz (Germany), Carlo Enrico Traverso (Italy)

The ESCRS Condemns in the Strongest Terms the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The attack on Ukraine invokes the worst memories of a geopolitical conflict in Europe and beyond, which we had hoped was consigned to the past and would remain there.

Since its foundation more than 30 years ago, the core principle of the ESCRS has been to transcend national borders in a spirit of collegiality, teaching, and learning from one another—for the betterment of all. The ideal of the ESCRS is that we are united in a common purpose to improve the lives of our fellow humans through improving their vision and preventing blindness. This unifies us across cultures, language, and international borders.

The Ukrainian Society of Ophthalmic Surgery is one of 19 national affiliates of the ESCRS. Their annual meeting had been scheduled for the beginning of March, with participation from ESCRS members and an ESCRS symposium. War destroys more than lives and property—it also destroys the exchange of ideas and the progress of science.

We want to emphasise our solidarity with our Ukrainian colleagues. We will do whatever we can to help them now, and in the future, during the inevitable painful rebuilding that will be required. The ESCRS Executive is working with non-governmental organisations and via our charitable activities to support Ukraine.

We join the rest of the free world in hoping for rapid cessation of hostilities.

Oliver Findl President Paul Rosen Chairman of Trustees Tom Kohnen Treasurer Filomena Ribeiro Secretary Rudy Nuijts Immediate Past President Trustees: José Güell, Roberto Belluci, John Bateson, Till Staffeldt, Béatrice Cochener-Lamard, David Spalton