Sec. 1346. Sense of Congress regarding the boycott of certain companies that continue to operate in Russia and provide financial benefits to the Putin regime
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Congress finds the following: On February 24, 2022, the Government of Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, invaded the sovereign country of Ukraine under the direction of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. On March 6, 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the United States has seen credible reports of Russia engaging in “deliberate attacks on civilians, which would constitute a war crime”. On March 16, 2022, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy urged “All American companies must leave Russia * * * leave their market immediately, because it is flooded with [Ukrainian] blood”.
In the same speech, President Zelenskyy called on Congress to lead by pressuring companies “who finance the Russian military machine” and conduct “business in Russia” and to “make sure that the Russians do not receive a single penny that they use to destroy people in Ukraine”. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of the Yale School of Management has compiled a list of some 1,000 companies which have withdrawn permanently or temporarily from Russia. By refusing to reduce, cease, or withdraw operations in Russia, these companies which have not withdrawn permanently or temporarily from Russia contribute to undermining the sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies that are intended to deter further Russian aggression.
A number of United States and multinational companies that do business in Russia do not provide life-saving or health-related goods and services to the Russian people and contribute to Putin’s ability to wage war in Ukraine and continue to commit war crimes by providing revenue for the Russian Government. Congress— supports and encourages Americans who choose to exercise their free speech rights by boycotting companies that do not provide life-saving or health-related goods and services to the Russian people yet continue to operate in Russia; condemns companies that continue to operate in Russia and provide financial benefits to the Putin regime that enable his ability to continue waging war in Ukraine; and commends companies that have already suspended operations in or withdrawn from markets in Russia in response to the Putin regime’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine.