In the statement, the authors condemn the Russian invasion into Ukraine and urge President Putin to stop it immediately. They also note the threat of the conflict escalating into wider was in Europe, as well as Russia using nuclear weapons, and encourage diplomacy as the only solution to avoiding these things.

“We call on Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty as an independent nation,” they write. “We call on Russia to withdraw its military forces from Ukraine. We call on all parties to de-escalate the current crisis and get back to the negotiating table to agree on practical and enduring steps that will end this conflict and make future ones less likely.”

The full statement can be read on the Nuclear Threat Initiative's website.