Disney has been the latest of the major corporations to suspend all business in Russia over the Ukraine invasion.
A Disney spokesman told DailyMail.com on Thursday the company is pausing all of its business in Russia due to ‘the unrelenting assault on Ukraine and the escalating humanitarian crisis’.
The war in Ukraine has just entered its third week after Vladimir Putin sent troops into the country along with shelling major cities.
The Walt Disney Company had recently suspended all theatrical films released in Russia, but this new step means all the company’s other business – including; Disney Cruise Line activities, National Geographic magazine and tours, local content productions and linear television channels – in support of Ukraine.
The spokesperson continued: ‘Some of those business activities we can and will pause immediately. Others—such as linear channels and some content and product licensing—will take time given contractual complexities.’
All Russian Disney staff will remain employed and the company said it is working to provide aid and other assistance to refugees from the Ukraine crisis.
Disney isn’t the only company to pull out of Russia in solidarity with Ukraine – several major restaurant chains including McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s, all halted business in the country.
The social media company TikTok took to Twitter to announce it was halting posting of all content from Russia in the wake of new ‘fake news’ legislation that could put people at risk.
Video game makers Nintendo and Sony have halted all product shipments, packaged food giants Nestle and Mondeleze (the Cadbury parent company) International are stopping investment, and tobacco groups are scaling back operations.
Many UK companies have even pulled Russian-made products from their shelves – Co-op, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer all halted sales of Russian vodka and JD Wetherspoons pulled the plug on selling Russian larger.