In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, car manufacturer Lamborghini has halted its operations in the country.
Lamborghini issued a statement expressing its sympathies for the ongoing invasion. The company is part of VW Group, which owns Porsche, both of which have donated €1 million ($1.1 million at today’s exchange rate) to UN Refugee Aid.
“In light of the current situation, business with Russia has been put on hold,” the automaker said in its statement. “Lamborghini hopes for a swift end of the hostilities and a return to diplomacy.”
Ferrari took a similar approach. It announced a €1 million donation to help Ukrainians, with funds going to worldwide humanitarian projects. The manufacturer will also contribute in local initiatives to welcome refugees in the Italian region, going so far as to donate aid to the Association Chernobyl of Maranello, Fiorano, Formigine to assist refugees who have relocated near the company.
Ferrari and Lamborghini’s contributions are just two of numerous automakers attempting to help people impacted by the crisis. Nissan and Stellantis have also made a €1 million donation to assist Ukrainians fleeing the war. However, while the world community condemns the violence, manufacturers have gone even farther by stopping operations and sales in Russia.
Toyota announced the closure of its St. Petersburg facility, which manufactures the Camry and RAV4 for the Russian market. In addition, Honda, General Motors, and Mazda have suspended shipments to Russia, while Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover have joined others, such as Ford, in stopping operations. The violence is also exacerbating the industry’s continuing supply chain challenges.
Several enterprises that were first unwilling to respond have recently announced that they will cease operations in Russia. On Tuesday, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and PepsiCo stated that they would no longer do business with the country. It’s a brilliant yet daring move for Pepsi, which has done business in Russia for several decades and is known for demanding payment in the form of vodka and warships.
Penalties will almost definitely be increased since Russia has shown little intention to minimize the bloodshed. As a result, organizations worldwide are struggling to justify doing business with Russia. Many companies will only reconsider returning to Russia if the conflict is resolved peacefully.