How Apple, Tesla, Meta And Other Companies Respond to Russia's Aggression Against Ukraine

Author: Shanthi Rexaline | February 27, 2022 01:00pm

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has mobilized the world against the former's unilateral actions, and the developments in Eastern Europe are seen as disrupting the world order and its peace. Top executives of some U.S. corporations have chimed in with their views and reactions to the crisis.

Apple's Cook Is "Deeply Concerned:" Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook has expressed his deep concern over the situation in Ukraine. He also suggested that the company is doing all that it can to support its teams there and the local humanitarian efforts. Cook also called for peace in the region.

Incidentally, Ukraine's Deputy Minister Mykhailo Fedorov urged Cook to stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation and also called for blocking access to the App Store. Fedorov said he believes the actions will motivate youth and tech-savvy citizens in Russia to proactively voice their opinion against the aggression.

Musk's Double-Quick Response: When Fedorov, who is also Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, requested Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk through twitter to provide the nation with Starlink stations, the latter responded swiftly, winning many fans on internet. Musk said in a reply tweet, "Starlink service is now active in Ukraine," and went on to add, "more terminals en route."

Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 26, 2022

Meta Announces Series Of Measures: Facebook parent Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB), meanwhile, has announced measures it is resorting to protect people on its platform in Ukraine. Nathaniel Gleicher, Head of Security Policy at Meta, said on Twitter that the company is prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on the social media platform anywhere in the world. The company is continuing to apply labels to additional Russian state media.

Meta said in a post it has added safety features in Ukraine, including the ability for people to lock their Facebook profile, remove the ability to view and search friends lists, and additional tools on Messenger.

"We are taking extensive steps to fight the spread of misinformation on our services and continuing to consult with outside experts, the company said.

Russia, meanwhile, said on Friday that it was partially limiting access to Facebook and accused the platform of censoring Russian media.

Virgin's Branson Comes Down Hard On Putin: British business magnate and the founder of the Virgin Group, which owns Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SPCE), called for the "strongest of responses," to the Russian aggression and a full range of sanctions.

"To be perfectly clear, this war is Putin's war, and his choice alone. It's a unilateral, unprovoked act of aggression," Branson said in a blog post.

Twitter Chirps Safety Tips: Microblogging platform Twitter, Inc. (NYSE:TWTR) through its Twitter Support handle has said the platform is restricted for some people in Russia. It also said it is working to keep its service safe and accessible. The company sent out tips for users on how to control their accounts and digital information.

Companies Halt Local Operations: Some multinational corporations have temporarily shuttered operations in Ukraine, keeping in mind the safety of employees, Bloomberg reported. Among the ones that have confirmed temporary disruptions are: Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ), Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR), Carlsberg A/S (OTC:CABGY), and Nestlé S.A. (OTC:NSRGY)