Koch Industries to stay in Russia, says exiting does ‘more harm than good’
By Andrew Jeong and Adela Suliman
Koch Industries, the American manufacturing giant that employs 122,000 people across the world, said Wednesday it would not exit its operations in Russia because doing so would put its “employees there at greater risk and do more harm than good.”
The multinational conglomerate’s presence in Russia is relatively small, its president and chief operating officer, Dave Robertson, said in a statement Wednesday. It has about 600 workers at its Guardian Industries subsidiary operating two glass-manufacturing facilities in Russia and an additional 15 people working outside Guardian but in the country, he said. “We have no other physical assets in Russia,” Robertson added.
Guardian Industries and its family of companies employ over 14,000 people in 26 countries and have bases in Rostov and Ryazan in Russia, according to its website.
Koch’s decision was disclosed after more than 400 global companies publicly announced plans to withdraw, suspend and scale back their operations in Russia because of its invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Consumer and social media campaigns to boycott such things as Russian vodka, classical music concerts and soccer have also added to public pressure on companies.
Dozens of corporations are still in Russia. It’s getting harder for them to leave.
However, according to a list compiled by Yale management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his research team, Koch Industries is one of about 30 companies described as “digging in” and “defying demands” for an exit or reduction of activities in Russia. Others on the list include Reebok, Cargill, Halliburton, LG Electronics and food brands such as Cinnabon and Subway.
Oil companies including Shell, BP and ExxonMobil were among the first to cut ties with Russia, along with some banking firms and tech companies such as Apple and Google. Others, including McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, followed.
“The horrific and abhorrent aggression against Ukraine is an affront to humanity,” said Robertson, the Koch executive. “Principles always matter, and they matter most when they are under pressure.”
Robertson said Koch “will not walk away from our employees there or hand over these manufacturing facilities to the Russian government so it can operate and benefit from them.” He added: “Doing so would only put our employees there at greater risk and do more harm than good.”
The company is complying with sanctions, he said, and will continue to provide financial assistance to employees and their families from Ukraine along with “humanitarian aid to those affected in neighboring countries.”
Outmatched in military might, Ukraine has excelled in the information war
In an address to Congress on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Peace is more important than income.”
“All American companies must leave Russia … leave their market immediately, because it is flooded with our blood.” He urged American lawmakers to “take the lead” and “make sure that the Russians do not receive a single penny that they use to destroy our people in Ukraine.”
The war is posing a corporate quandary and testing the mettle of some of the world’s most powerful brands, as well as the long-held theory of international relations that countries that trade together don’t wage wars against each other.
Russia boycott: A list of global campaigns that are underway in support of Ukraine
Koch is among corporations such as Cargill, LG Electronics and Subway that have decided to stay in Russia. Many of those companies have issued statements expressing concern over the conflict, but Koch is one of the few that have opted both to stay and openly condemn the Russian government.
Koch Industries, based in Wichita, is the second-largest privately held company in the United States and has broad operations, including in energy, chemicals and electronic technologies. It is run and partly owned by Charles Koch, known for the millions he donated to conservative causes with his brother David Koch, who died in 2019.
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Get Involved: Supporting Ukraine and Its People Is Easy – and Makes a Huge Difference
People all over Europe and the world are rallying to support Ukraine, its people, and its fight for freedom and independence. Here are links and information on existing groups and actions and how you can get involved.
by LibertiesEU
Europeans are asking their leaders to do what is possible to help Ukraine, as well as asking themselves what they can do to help ease suffering and bring an end to this horrible war. At train stations in Berlin and elsewhere, locals welcomed Ukrainian refugees with offers of accommodation; people in cities across Europe are donating food, clothing and other basic necessities.
If you would like to help, doing so is easy and every show of support, no matter how small, is important.
Donating
Donations, both in money and in supplies, are urgently needed. Here is some important background information on how to donate effectively.
Humanitarian assistance can be given through the following organizations:
The UN Refugee Agency
Caritas
Red Cross Ukraine
United Ukraine (medical supplies for soldiers & civilians)
Mission Lifeline
Voices of Children (focus on traumatised children in eastern UA)
Ukrainian journalism can be supported by two GoFundMe accounts:
Various Ukrainian media outlets
Donations from Berlin can be aided by UkraineHelpBerlin, which offers a list of donation options for those in Berlin. Zentrum Liberale Moderne has set up a list of many organizations accepting donations to directly help Ukraine.
Donating supplies is easiest done through charities and initiatives that exist in your city or area. In Berlin, the following places are accepting donations of supplies:
Pileki Institut (Mitte) (Twitter, Instagram)
Sage Restaurant (Kreuzberg)
Regis24 (Kreuzberg)
Volunteering
The groups #LeaveNoOneBehind and UkraineNow offer people a variety of ways to get directly involved, from legal services and help dealing with local authorities, to translation services and accommodation.
Arrival services are an area where help is needed in multiple ways. If you’re in Berlin, you can register to help through this page.
Here is a template page of useful information for refugees to distribute at arrival stations. And this template will help you identify as a volunteer.
Telegram channels now exist to coordinate arrival help at Zoo, Südkreuz, Ostbahnhof, and Hauptbahnhof.
Translation services are much needed to provide assistance to refugees.
A translator in Berlin has started a simple volunteer page to fill in and submit.
MedWatch and Berliner Stadtmission also need volunteer translators.
Psychologists are also needed to help refugees. In Germany, krisenchat is seeking volunteers in this area. And if you are seeking help, they provide services in both Ukrainian and Russian.
Transport, both in and out of Ukraine, is critically important. If you are able to assist in transportation efforts, both #LeaveNoOneBehind and UkraineNow offer ways to get involved.
So too does HelpBus, an initiative of seven individuals to involve bus drivers, owners and people’s donations to help with transportation efforts.
Providing Accommodation
Offering a room or flat to Ukrainian refugees can be done through the following groups in Berlin and beyond:
A Telegram group dedicated to Ukrainian refugees
Accommodaton group specifcally for BIPOC/LGBTQ
Sign, Share, Support
Signing petitions takes less than a minute and while it may feel almost trivial, it’s anything but. When we all stand together we amplify our message and make it harder for those in power to ignore.
This link provides easy access to a number of petitions related to Ukraine.
Regardless of where you live, you can sign Avaaz’s global petition “Stop This War” here.
You can also join protests against the war through Demonstrations for Peace and StandWithUkraine.
For other general ways you can help Ukraine, “Real ways you can help Ukraine as a foreigner” – made by Ukrainians – is a great resource.
Tagesspiegel has put together some helpful pointers for volunteers in Berlin.
This link helps you contact your politicians directly. After all, they’re the ones who will be making so many important decisions about this crisis.
Supporting Ukrainian civil society is also important. The Kyiv Declaration is an appeal from 100 Ukrainian civil society leaders with six demands to help protect the freedom, democracy, and people of Ukraine.
Supporting it is as easy as helping to spread the word on social media. Just share this message on your networks:
I stand in solidarity with Ukrainian civil society organisations who have come together to create the #KyivDeclaration, calling on the international community to respond to six urgent appeals.
Find out more here: https://bit.ly/3HxRJvY – please share #KyivDeclaration #StandwithUkraine
More information
Media:
Following and supporting good-quality media and journalists is important in order to get the most accurate picture of what’s happening. It’s also extremely important given the amount of disinformation being spread about the war. (Here is a 6 step guide on how to spot disinformation.)
The following are links to media outlets that are considered to provide factual, reliable reporting on the situation in Ukraine:
English-language media outlets in UA: The Kyiv Independent, The New Voice of Ukraine
German-language media: Dekoder (independent RUS media translated to GER)
Ukraine-based journalists: Olga Tokariuk, Christopher Miller, Nika Melkozerova, Illia Ponomarenko; Katrin Eigendorf (German correspondent in Ukraine)
Aid organizations in Berlin:
Flüchtlingshilfswerk Berlin (Twitter)
Vitsche Berlin (UA students and activists) - Twitter, Instagram
Chabad Lubawitsch (Jewish Org in Berlin)
Legal info & advice (for Berlin and in general):
Legal information on entering Germany
10 key legal pointers for staying in Germany (Berlin Hilft)
General info for refugees & supporters (UA+EU)
Free legal advice (Refugee Law Clinic Berlin e.V.)
Read more about Ukraine:
6 Step Disinformation Guide: Don’t Get Swept Away by Falsehoods about War in Ukraine
Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Should Spur EU Leaders to Strengthen Democracy at Home
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