Alexander Neef, the General Director of the Opéra National de Paris, has issued a statement in support of Ukraine.

In the statement, Neef noted that the company was against the Russian war on the Ukraine and that it would be cutting ties with artists who have supported the regime of Russian president Vladimir Putin; he also pledged to stop collaborations with Russian culture institutions.

Finally, in his statement, Neef noted that the Opéra National de Paris “expresses solidarity for artists who oppose the Russian aggression and have decided to terminate their activities in Russia while it remains under this regime.”

The company also placed the colors of the Ukrainian flag at the entrance of the Bastille.

The company joins several other organizations who have cut ties with Russian cultural institutions and Russian artists who have supported Putin including the Met Opera, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Polish National Opera, and the Munich Philharmonic, among others.