Major international companies in various sectors around the world announced the suspension of their activities in Russia due to its military intervention in Ukraine.
During the past week, many sectors in Russia witnessed decisions to suspend or cancel the business of many companies in the sectors of technology, automobiles, energy, and others.
Aside from sanctions, especially those imposed by EU member states and the United States, companies are trying to put pressure on the Russian economy through their actions.
On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, which was followed by angry international reactions and the imposition of “tough” economic and financial sanctions on Moscow.
Tech companies
US-based technology giant Apple has halted sales of its products in Russia while limiting Apple Pay and other services in the country.
In a statement, Apple expressed its “deep concern” about Russia’s military operation in Ukraine and stands with “all the people” who are suffering as a result of the violence.
The American software company “Microsoft” also announced the suspension of sales and services of all its new products in Russia.
The company said, in a statement, that it “like the rest of the world, is horrified, angry and saddened by the images and news coming from the war in Ukraine,” and it “condemns this unjustified and illegal invasion by Russia.”
In the same context, YouTube also decided to ban Russian state-run media outlets, such as “Russia Today” and “Sputnik”, while Google banned the download of its mobile applications.
Computer company “Dell” suspended sales in Russia, while “Oakl” stopped its operations in the country.
For its part, international credit card providers Visa Card and MasterCard have also suspended their operations and relations in the country.
On Saturday, the online payment platform PayPal suspended its services in Russia, citing the war in Ukraine.
“The unjustified Russian military intervention in Ukraine and the catastrophic humanitarian crisis” prompted Disney to stop all movie screenings in Russia, according to the company’s statement.
Netflix also halted its operations in Russia and postponed the production of four series in the country.
Air Navigation Companies
The US and European companies “Boeing” and “Airbus” have suspended their operations and exports to Russia.
Airbus said in a statement that it was also evaluating whether its Moscow technical center would be able to serve domestic customers under Western sanctions.
Lufthansa Technik has also suspended operations in Russia, while Aercap, the world’s largest aircraft leasing company, has cut ties with Russian airlines.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has suspended relations with Russia. Because of this, the agency’s ExoMars program, where the UK-made Rosalind Franklin spacecraft was scheduled to be launched on a Russian rocket, will likely be postponed.
Car companies
The two German car giants, Volkswagen and BMW , have suspended their domestic production activities in Russia.
“We condemn the aggression against Ukraine and are following developments with great concern and displeasure,” BMW said in a statement.
The company “Volkswagen”, which also stopped its exports to the country, stated that “against the background of the Russian attack on Ukraine and its consequences, the Volkswagen Group’s board of directors decided to stop production of vehicles in Russia until further notice.”
The Volkswagen Group includes Audi, Seat, Scania, Skoda, Porsche, and Volkswagen .
Toyota, the Japanese automaker, also halted production operations in Russia, saying, “Operations at the Saint Petersburg plant will be halted until further notice.”
The Toyota plant in Saint Petersburg has been producing about 100,000 cars annually since it opened in 2007.
The Japanese company “Honda Motor ” has also stopped shipping vehicles and motorcycles to Russia.
Daimler Truck, which manufactures armored vehicles for the Russian army, has halted all commercial operations in the country, including cooperation with Russia’s largest manufacturer of trucks and buses, KAMAZ.
Other companies that have announced the suspension of their operations in the country include Sweden’s Volvo, America’s Ford, Japan’s Mazda, Jaguar, Land Rover and Britain’s Aston Martin.
Harley-Davidson has also suspended operations and deliveries in Russia.
Textile and Retail
The Spanish textile company “Mango” has temporarily suspended sales in 120 Russian stores, as well as its exports to the country.
Sportswear giant Adidas has suspended its partnership with the Russian Football Federation due to the war, as the German company has been the exclusive supplier of kits for the Russian national football team for more than a decade, since their partnership began in September 2008.
Sportswear majors Puma and Nike have also halted their activities and deliveries in Russia, where Puma alone has 100 points of sale in the country.
H&M, one of the largest textile retailers, suspended sales in Russia, while Inditex, which owns the Zara, Bershka and Pull & Bear brands, suspended its services in Russia by closing more than 500 stores.
The Swedish company “Ikea”, the largest furniture selling company, suspended its operations in Russia and Belarus due to the Ukrainian-Russian crisis.
Marks & Spencer stopped supplying goods to its stores in Russia from Saturday.
Energy companies
British Petroleum (BP) has suspended its operations in Russia by stopping its partnership activities with Russian companies.
The board of directors of “Shell” Petroleum announced its plans to exit the joint ventures with the Russian “Gazprom” and related entities.
“We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, as a result of a senseless military intervention that threatens European security,” Ben van Beurden, Shell CEO, said in a statement.
BP announced that it would sell its stake in the Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft, after coming under pressure from the government.
The company’s president, Helge Lund, said in a statement that Russia’s attack on Ukraine was “an act of aggression with tragic consequences across the region.”
Norwegian energy giant Equinor also agreed to start exiting joint ventures in Russia and halt new investments in the country.
“We are all deeply disturbed by the Russian military operation in Ukraine, which is a terrible setback for the world, and we think of all those who are suffering because of its repercussions,” said Anders Obedal, the company’s president and CEO.
The French companies “Total Energies”, the American “ExxonMobil”, the Italian energy group “Eni”, the German “Siemens Energy”, the Singaporean “Trafigura” for commodities, and the Swiss “Glencore” also announced the suspension of their activities or investments. In Russia.
Industry Sector
Swedish engineering company Sandvik has halted operations in Russia, while Swedish vehicle and industrial equipment manufacturer Atlas Group has halted deliveries in the country.
Finnish engineering group Metso Outotec has halted deliveries in Russia.
Norway’s Norsk Hydro, which operates in the aluminum and renewable energy sectors, said it would no longer deal with Russian producers and would suspend its existing agreements.
Similarly, the German company “Siemens” has stopped supplies in Russia, but will continue its local repair and maintenance services.
Shipping companies
The US companies “FedEx” and “UPS” suspended deliveries to Russia due to its military intervention in Ukraine.
Maersk, the world’s largest container delivery company, has also halted all deliveries to and from Russia.
Deutsche Post has suspended deliveries to Russia, and German shipping company Hapag Lloyd has suspended bookings in Russia.
Container giant MSC has also halted all deliveries of cargo in Russia, except for humanitarian relief and medical supplies.
