Julia von Blumenthal, President of the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) and FEPS Secretary General László Andor discuss the effects of the Russia—Ukraine war on universities, especially in the case of the institution she leads which plays a special role in German -- Eastern European relations. They highlight the humanitarian as well as the educational aspects of Viadrina’s response to the shock of Russian aggression, and explore the possibilities of opening a new chapter in the academic relations between Germany and Ukraine. They find it hard to be optimistic regarding the end of the war in Ukraine or the normalisation of cultural relations with the Russian-speaking world.