"We join all those around the world who are calling for peace."
From a statement emailed to the press (lightly reformatted):
We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence. We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region.
We have taken a number of actions in response to the invasion.
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- We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country.
- Apple Pay and other services have been limited.
- RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia.
- And we have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens.
We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with the relevant governments on the actions we are taking.
We join all those around the world who are calling for peace.
My take: This good, as far as it goes. Airbnb -- whose pockets are a lot less deep than Apple's -- has offered free lodging to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
See also: How long will Apple keep doing business in Russia? (posted a week ago)
From CNN:
Airbnb is offering free short-term housing for up to 100,000 Ukrainians who have been displaced by the war with Russia, the company announced Monday.
The stays will be funded by donations to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund as well as with help from hosts on the platform.
Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s cofounder and CEO, called for people to open their homes in Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania as more Ukrainians flee the conflict in their home country.
https://twitter.com/bchesky/status/1498214180674965504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1498214180674965504%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Feconomictimes.indiatimes.com%2Ftech%2Ftech-bytes%2Fairbnb-is-suspending-all-operations-in-russia-and-belarus-ceo-brian-chesky-says%2Farticleshow%2F89983937.cms
Sales in Europe may decline after they get their heating bills or go to the gas station. The impact of Russia’s actions and the world’s reactions will be felt at the pump or charging station in India and China too.
The Swiss, Finns and Swedes ditching neutrality was unusual. There are massive warehouses in Switzerland where art and other collectibles are stored. Think Renoir. An oligarch or two must be contemplating the loss of those valuables.
It’s not clear if the Swiss sanctions extend to individuals, or stop with Russian government accounts.