Apple Will Match All Ukraine Relief Donations from Staff Two-to-One
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In addition to imposing its own sanctions against Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, Apple CEO Tim Cook has also sent out an internal email to employees to highlight everything that Apple is doing and encourages them to donate to relief efforts.
The Apple CEO has promised that not only will Apple match all eligible donations two-to-one, but it’s also doing so retroactively to February 25.
In the memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Verge, Cook adds that Apple is also donating to humanitarian relief efforts above and beyond what it’s asking employees to do, as well as looking for ways to help out even more.
Apple is donating to humanitarian relief efforts and providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis. We are also working with partners to assess what more we can do. I know that many of you are eager to find ways to support as well, and we want to help amplify the impact of your donations. Tim Cook
Cook also goes on to note that Apple has been working diligently to support its employees in Ukraine “in any way we can.” He notes that Apple’s people team has “been in contact with every employee” in Ukraine to provide assistance. He also offers an email address that Ukrainian team members located outside Ukraine can contact for additional support or assistance.
According to The Verge, some employees have internally discussed how Apple may be able to help them get their families out of Ukraine.
Although Apple doesn’t operate any retail stores in Ukraine, it does have a small corporate office that was opened last summer to support third-party authorized resellers and service providers in the country.
In September, Tim Cook also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet with him at Apple Park to discuss how to expand Apple’s presence in his country.
The Apple CEO also goes on to reiterate the additional actions that Apple has taken publicly against Russia in response to the invasion, including halting all Apple product sales in its online stores.
Apple has also ceased exports of all products into Russia, limited live Apple Maps features in Ukraine as “a safety and precautionary measure,” and taken its own steps to limit the use of Apple Pay. In the latter case, it appears that most mobile payment systems have stopped working due to international sanctions against Russian banks, but Cook suggests that Apple is taking its own actions to limit the use of Apple Pay in Russia.
Apple also pulled the RT News and Sputnik News apps from the App Store outside Russia, as both of these news agencies are widely considered to be propaganda arms for the Putin government.
This moment calls for unity, it calls for courage, and it reminds us that we must never lose sight of the humanity we all share. In these difficult times, I take comfort in knowing that we are united in our commitment to each other, to our users, and to being a force for good in the world.Tim Cook
Despite a request from Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Friday to “stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation, including blocking access to App Store,” it’s unclear if Apple has actually gone that far yet. Cook has said nothing about the App Store, or even other services like Apple Music, although it’s possible that at least some of these are included in the “other services” that Cook says have been limited in Russia in addition to Apple Pay.
