Update: February 25, 2022
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, mayor of Munich Dieter Reiter issued the following statement: “I made my position clear to Valery Gergiev and asked him to also clearly and unequivocally distance himself from the Russian invasion to distance ourselves from the brutal war of aggression that Putin is waging against Ukraine, and now in particular against our twin city of Kyiv. If Valery Gergiev does not take a clear stance by Monday, he can no longer remain chief conductor of our Philharmonic.”