TOPLINE
Disney will pause theatrical releases of its upcoming movies in Russia, the company announced Monday, joining Netflix, Shell, Twitter, Airbnb and online crafts retailer Etsy in announcing action against Russia or providing aid to people in Ukraine Monday amid Russia’s invasion—here’s a list of companies who have pledged initiatives.
KEY FACTS
The Walt Disney Company, which owns Marvel Studios, 20th Century Studios, Pixar and other film properties, announced Monday it is pausing its release of theatrical films in Russia, including its anticipated Pixar film Turning Red, “given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis.”
A spokesperson for Netflix told the Wall Street Journal Monday that “given the current situation,” the streaming service has no plans to distribute news, sports and entertainment channels from Russian state media, despite a new Russian regulation that requires organizations with more than 100,000 subscribers to carry them, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Shell announced Monday it would divest in several ventures with Gazprom, a Russian-state owned gas company totaling to roughly $3 billion in value.
Twitter said Monday it would label tweets that share information from Russian state media accounts, and announced Friday it was temporarily suspending ads in Ukraine and Russia “to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads don’t detract from it.”
Airbnb announced Monday they will provide free, short-term housing for 100,000 refugees who have fled Ukraine, which will be paid for by the company and through donations.
Etsy announced Monday it was canceling all balances owed to the company by sellers in Ukraine, including listing and advertising fees, amounting to roughly $4 million, to alleviate financial hardships felt by those in the country.
Oil giant BP divested a roughly 20% stake in Russian oil company Rosneft Sunday, and announced the immediate resignation of two BP-nominated Rosneft board members, with BP chair Helge Lund calling Russia’s attack on Ukraine an “act of aggression” and saying BP’s “involvement with Rosneft, a state-owned enterprise, simply cannot continue.”
Facebook’s parent company Meta said it restricted access to Russian state media accounts in Ukraine, blocked Russian state media from running ads and earning money from their accounts on the platform, and Sunday said it took down posts related to a disinformation campaign targeting Ukraine.
Youtube temporarily demonetized Russian state media outlet RT and other channels Saturday, preventing it from earning money through ads on its videos, and limited access to these channels in Ukraine.
Verizon waived residential and mobile call fees to and from Ukraine Friday through March 10, and waived voice and text roaming charges for those in the country.
KEY BACKGROUND
Organizations around the world are also taking action against Russia. The International Olympics Committee requested Monday that sports organizations around the world ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing. Friday the Eurovision song contest barred Russia from competing this year, and Formula 1 canceled the Russian Grand Prix. The international fallout comes as the U.S. and other Western allies voted to remove some Russian banks from SWIFT over the weekend, and executed other rounds of sanctions on Russian financial institutions. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also been the direct target of sanctions, with the U.S. freezing his personal assets and those of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other wealthy Russian oligarchs.
FURTHER READING
BP Drops Nearly 20% Stake In Russian-Owned Oil Firm After Invasion Of Ukraine (Forbes)