Here are the private companies that have made moves against Russia
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to international sanctions and a flood of businesses across sectors cutting ties with Moscow.
Here are the private companies that have made moves against Russia:
BP
Oil company BP announced on Sunday it would be divesting its 20 percent stake in Russian oil company Rosneft.
“Russia’s attack on Ukraine is an act of aggression which is having tragic consequences across the region. bp has operated in Russia for over 30 years, working with brilliant Russian colleagues,” BP Chairman Helge Lund said in a statement
“However, this military action represents a fundamental change. It has led the bp board to conclude, after a thorough process, that our involvement with Rosneft, a state-owned enterprise, simply cannot continue,” Lund added.
Shell
Oil company Shell announced Monday it will be ending all joint ventures with Russian majority state-owned oil company Gazprom.
The company said its 27.5 percent stake in a Sakhalin-II liquefied natural gas facility and its 50 percent stake in Salym Petroleum Development will be withdrawn.
“We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security,” CEO Ben van Beurden said in a statement.
“Our immediate focus is the safety of our people in Ukraine and supporting our people in Russia. In discussion with governments around the world, we will also work through the detailed business implications, including the importance of secure energy supplies to Europe and other markets, in compliance with relevant sanctions.”
Maersk
Shipping line company Maersk announced Tuesday that containers to and from Russia would be temporarily suspended.
Only foodstuff, medical and humanitarian supplies will be allowed as the company “is focusing on social responsibility and making the efforts to support society despite all the complications and uncertainties within the current supply chain to/from Russia.”
“The suspension will begin today and cover all Russian gateway ports. We will announce further details during today and the coming days as we progress with the planning,” the company added.
Visa and Mastercard
Mastercard and Visa have both announced they will be blocking Russian banks from their networks.
Mastercard also said it will be donating to Save the Children, the Red Cross and the company’s employee assistance fund to help those affected by the invasion.
“The invasion by Russian military forces over the past week has been devastating for the people of Ukraine. Our thoughts continue to be with those impacted,” Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach said in a statement on Monday.
“As a result of sanction orders, we have blocked multiple financial institutions from the Mastercard payment network. We will continue to work with regulators in the days ahead to abide fully by our compliance obligations as they evolve,” he added.
Visa said it will be donating $2 million to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
“Visa is taking prompt action to ensure compliance with applicable sanctions, and is prepared to comply with additional sanctions that may be implemented,” the company said.
“During the past few days, all of us at Visa have watched the tragic scenes in Ukraine with deep sadness and disbelief. Our hearts go out to the many people and families seeking safety, shelter and peace following the invasion of Ukraine,” the statement added.
WarnerMedia
WarnerMedia announced on Monday it would not be releasing “The Batman” in Russia this weekend.
“In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film ‘The Batman’ in Russia. We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves,” a spokesperson said.
“We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy,” the company added.
Netflix
Netflix announced Tuesday it is pausing all projects and acquisitions from Russia.
Netflix said it is pausing “all future projects and acquisitions from Russia while we assess the impact of the current events.”
It follows Monday’s statement when the company said it would not be running Russian-affiliated media channels on its platform in Russia.
“Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service,” Netflix told CNN Business.
The statement came the same week Russian law is requiring platforms like Netflix to run its channels.
Disney
Disney said Monday all releases in Russia will be halted due to the country’s attack on Ukraine.
“Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming ‘Turning Red’ from Pixar,” a Disney spokesperson said, CNN reported. “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation.”
The company said it is also working with organizations to help the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have emerged from the conflict.
YouTube
YouTube announced Tuesday that Russian outlets RT and Sputnik will be immediately banned in Europe from the platform.
“It’ll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action,” a YouTube spokesperson stated.
Last week, YouTube said Russian outlets would not be allowed to earn money from ads.
Facebook is also restricting the accounts of some Russian-back media outlets in Europe.
“We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media. Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time,” Meta Vice President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg stated.
Russian outlets also won’t be able to use ads to earn money as the outlets have been known for spreading misinformation about the conflict.
Twitter said Monday it would be labeling links to Russian state-owned media outlets as thousands of tweets since the conflict began have cited Russian media.
“Since the invasion, we’ve seen more than 45,000 Tweets a day sharing links to Russian state-affiliated media outlets,” Twitter site integrity lead Yoel Roth tweeted. “While we’ve labeled the accounts of hundreds of global state media outlets for years, Tweets sharing their content lacked visible context.”
Links for other countries state media outlets will get the same label in the “coming weeks.”
Apple
Apple announced Tuesday multiple measures it has taken to support Ukraine and move business out of Russia.
In Russia, all product sales have been stopped, all exports into the company’s sales channel have been halted, Apple Pay and other services were limited and RT News and Sputnik News can’t be downloaded outside of Russia.
In Ukraine, traffic and live incidents have been disabled on Apple Maps to protect Ukrainians against Russian invaders.
“We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region,” Apple stated. “We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with relevant governments on the actions we are taking. We join all those around the world who are calling for peace.”
Liquor stores
Some liquor stores in Canada and the United States have said they will not be selling Russian alcohol in solidarity with Ukraine.
Canada’s Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC) said all Russian products would be taken off their shelves.
“The Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation, along with other Liquor jurisdictions throughout Canada, has made the decision to remove products of Russian origin from its shelves,” the NLC tweeted.
Jamie Stratton, manager of the Jacob Liquor Exchange in Wichita, Kan., told The Hill he removed 100 bottles of Russian vodka from his store and is displaying Ukrainian alcohol more prominently.
He referred to the move as a “tiny sanction” and is not alone, as other owners in the U.S. have reportedly done similar actions.
FIFA
FIFA, the global governing body of soccer, announced Monday it would be imposing an indefinite ban on Russia from all competitions.
“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine,” FIFA said, adding the group hopes “that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”
The move came after Poland said it would not face Russia in a qualifying semifinal match for the World Cup due to the invasion.
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced on Feb. 25 the Champions League final, the top competition for European clubs, will not take place in Russia.
Due to the conflict, UEFA decided the final will be played in France on May 28.
Ukraine and Russia will also have to play their future home matches at neutral venues. The decisions were made “following the grave escalation of the security situation in Europe.”
EA Sports
In a statement posted to Twitter Wednesday, EA Sports says it is removing Russian teams from its video games.
“In line with our partners at FIFA and UEFA, EA Sports has initiated processes to remove the Russian national team and all Russian clubs from EA Sports FIFA products including: FIFA 22, FIFA Mobile and FIFA online,” the company said.
“We’re also actively evaluating related changes to other areas of our games,” it added.
EA Sports said this move is in support of the Ukrainian people and called for peace in the conflict.
IOC
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Monday their recommendations against Russia and Belarus due to the invasion.
Belarus has aided in the invasion by letting Russia use its country as a point to invade Ukraine.
The board recommended athletes and officials from the two countries not be allowed in competitions. The athletes should only be allowed to participate as a neutral individual without the flags or anthems of their nation.
It also recommended no sporting events take place in Russia and Belarus due to the invasion.
World Taekwondo and International Judo Federation
World Taekwondo and the International Judo Federation announced consequences against Putin due to the invasion.
World Taekwondo took away Putin’s ninth dan black belt and said the Russian flag and anthem would not be allowed at events.
“In this regard, World Taekwondo has decided to withdraw the honorary 9th dan black belt conferred to Mr. Vladimir Putin in November 2013,” the group said.
The International Judo Federation took away Putin’s title of honorary president and ambassador “in light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine.”
Updated: March 2 at 5:27 p.m.
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