Trahan: Stop doing biz in Russia
Says more needs to be done to help
While the coalition of countries standing against Russian President Vladimir Putin are doing what they can, there is more that needs to be done by the world’s corporations to help stop the atrocities the Russian army is committing in Ukraine, a Massachusetts lawmaker who recently visited the region said.
“It’s even worse than it was when I was there two weeks ago,” U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan said.
Trahan appeared Sunday on WCVB’s “On The Record,” where she explained the situation in Ukraine has continued to deteriorate.
Last week, images of apparent war crimes committed by Russian soldiers began to surface from areas they once occupied. The Biden administration, on Wednesday, announced additional sanctions against Russia’s largest financial institutions in response.
Those new sanctions came just as Trahan and a group of lawmakers grilled oil executives on record profits since the invasion of Ukraine started and consumers have seen the price of gas climb to near all-time highs.
“Each of you have been crystal clear in public statements in the past month that Putin’s invasion has been great for your bottom line. Not only have each of you taken advantage of this war and the crisis that it has produced to return even more profit to shareholders, but it also appears that at least five top oil executives have cashed out some $99 million worth of stock personally since the invasion began,” Trahan said in Washington Wednesday.
She continued along that tract Sunday, when she said all companies need to cease business in Russia. Trahan was asked if Bostonbased Gillette, specifically, should stop doing business there.
“I think we should be issuing the harshest treatment possible against Russia. I think American companies should stop doing business,” she said.
“We heard the same when we sit with Ukrainian civilians. They are saying not just put pressure on European allies so we’re issuing the toughest sanctions possible and giving them the lethal aid they need … but also on American companies to stop doing business with a war criminal,” she said.
Gillette, which is owned by Procter & Gamble, has been criticized for its continued work in Russia. CEO Jon Moeller said in March the company would scale back operations there, but that many products they sold were needed by Russian civilians.
Procter & Gamble did not return a request for comment Sunday.
‘I think we should be issuing the harshest treatment possible against Russia. I think American companies should stop doing business.’
U.S. REP. LORI TRAHAN