International Sponsors of War

International Sponsors of War was a publicly available list of companies and individuals maintained by the Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) in connection with the Russo-Ukrainian War, particularly the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It had no legal standing but was nonetheless impactful.[1] By December 2023, the list included 46 companies from 17 countries and 261 individuals who, by doing business with Russia, contribute to Russian revenues and ultimately Russian military budget in their ongoing war with Ukraine. The list is contrasted with international boycott of Russia when by 2023 more than 1000 companies withdrew or divested themselves from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.[3] NACP viewed the list as a reputational instrument for elements of global supply chains, aimed at reducing Russia's financial and technological capability to damage Ukraine. In September 2022 the list was included into London Stock Exchange Group's database.[4] Some companies among International Sponsors of War are also restricted in other countries.

Inclusion on the list was arbitrary and decided by the NACP on a one to one basis.[5] Some companies have been removed from the list, as they ceased business with Russia and condemned the war. In June 2023, media outlets also reported the removal of five Greek tanker companies from the list,[6] however the NACP kept them as they did not publicly condemn the invasion.[7] In March 2024, following diplomatic pressure,[5] the list of International Sponsors of War was removed from public access by the NACP and its data were moved to the Interdepartmental Working Group on Implementation of the State Sanctions Policy (IWG).[8]

Companies

Noted effects of being included on list

• June 2023: British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines remove Mondelez products.[62]
• August 2023: Mondi withdrew from Russia after being listed in February 2023.
• September 2023: Hungary agreed to 11th EU sanctions package after OTP Bank removed from list.[63]
• November 2023: Three Greek shipping companies agreed to cease Russian trade after being listed.[53]
• December 2023: Scandinavian Airlines stopped using PepsiCo and Nesquik products.[64]
• December 2023: Austria blocked 12th EU sanctions package until Raiffeisen Bank International was removed from the list.[60]
• January 2024: Oleksandr Novikov, the former head of Ukraine's NACP reported that dozens of large transnational companies had left Russia for fear of being included on the list of sponsors.[65]
• January 2024: Sweden's Royal House has cancelled the royal warrant to Marabou chocolate as it is owned by Mondelez.[66]

Removal from public access

It was reported that Austria, China, France and Hungary had criticised the list and the inclusion of certain companies in it. China, in particular, a major consumer of Ukrainian grain, demanded in February 2024 the removal of 14 Chinese companies from the list to "eliminate negative impacts". Another cited reason was the frustration for singling out companies from countries that supported Ukraine.[67]

On 22 March 2024, the NACP announced the decision to close the list to public access and move its data to the Interdepartmental Working Group on Implementation of the State Sanctions Policy (IWG). The decision was based on the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 15 March 2024.[68]

See also

• Corporate responses to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Economic impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• List of companies that applied sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War

External links

• Official list (latest version before closing public access)