Russia is getting canceled over the Ukraine invasion, with a staggering number of businesses and industries waging their own economic war.

Simone Del Rosario Business Correspondent

5 ways Russia is getting canceled, from Harley to Hollywood

Mar 04, 2022

Simone Del Rosario Business Correspondent

By Simone Del Rosario (Business Correspondent), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)

Russia’s economy is already buckling under crippling Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. On top of those losses, the country is facing cancel culture, with a staggering number of businesses and industries waging their own economic war. Here are five of them in this week’s Five For Friday.

#5: Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson is suspending business in Russia, stopping all bike shipments. The company doesn’t break out sales there by country, but the region Russia is a part of — Europe, Middle East and Africa — accounts for 31% of business. For one customer in particular, it’s personal. Russian President Vladimir Putin was photographed riding a Harley in 2010 in Ukraine of all places.

#4: Hollywood

Hollywood is going dark on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Disney, Warner Bros. and Sony have all told Russia no more new movies, halting the theatrical releases of films like “The Batman,” Pixar’s “Turning Red,” and Marvel’s “Morbius.”

#3: Digital wallets

Here’s one that’s hitting ordinary Russians hard. Customers of sanctioned banks are cut off from contactless payment systems Apple Pay and Google Pay, and it’s wreaking havoc at the metro as surprised commuters scramble for change.

#2: Chelsea FC

Worth an estimated $3.3 billion, Chelsea Football Club has won 19 major titles since the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich bought it in 2003. But the threat of sanctions and his ties with Putin are pressuring the billionaire to put the club first and sell. Buyers are circling and Abramovich said he’ll funnel sale proceeds to aid Ukrainian war victims.

#1: Russian vodka

Though mostly symbolic, few things are as synonymous with the country, so of course it’s being canceled. In San Francisco, the Madrone Art Bar dumped Russian drinks from its menu and down the drain, and the Bond Bar renamed the Moscow Mule the Kyiv Mule. Also, one of the most well-known brands is desperately trying to distance itself from Russia: Stoli is actually made in Latvia and unequivocally condemned Russia’s military action.

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: SANCTIONS ARE HITTING RUSSIA HARD BUT NOT EVERYONE CAN PRESSURE PUTIN LIKE THE U-S GOVERNMENT. STILL THE COUNTRY IS LEARNING RIGHT NOW WHAT CANCEL CULTURE IS ALL ABOUT. HERE ARE FIVE BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES CUTTING OFF RUSSIA OVER THE WAR IN THIS WEEK’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY.

AT NUMBER FIVE, HARLEY DAVIDSON IS SUSPENDING BUSINESS IN RUSSIA – STOPPING ALL BIKE SHIPMENTS. THEY DON’T BREAK OUT SALES THERE BY COUNTRY BUT THE REGION RUSSIA’S A PART OF ACCOUNTS FOR 31% OF BUSINESS. AND FOR ONE CUSTOMER IN PARTICULAR, IT’S PERSONAL. HERE’S PUTIN IN 2010 CRUISING AROUND ON A HARLEY – IN UKRAINE OF ALL PLACES.

IN FOURTH PLACE – THE MOVIES. HOLLYWOOD IS GOING DARK ON RUSSIA OVER ITS INVASION OF UKRAINE. DISNEY, WARNER BROTHERS AND SONY HAVE ALL TOLD RUSSIA “NO MORE NEW MOVIES.” HALTING THE THEATRICAL RELEASES OF FILMS LIKE “THE BATMAN,” PIXAR’S “TURNING RED” AND MARVEL’S “MORBIUS.”

COMING IN AT NUMBER THREE – DIGITAL WALLETS. HERE’S ONE THAT’S HITTING ORDINARY RUSSIANS HARD. CUSTOMERS OF SANCTIONED BANKS ARE CUT OFF FROM CONTACTLESS PAYMENT SYSTEMS APPLE PAY AND GOOGLE PAY – AND ITS WREAKING HAVOC AT THE METRO AS SURPRISED COMMUTERS SCRAMBLE FOR CHANGE.

AT NUMBER TWO – THE CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB. WORTH AN ESTIMATED 3.3 BILLION, THE TEAM HAS WON 19 MAJOR TITLES SINCE THE RUSSIAN OLIGARCH ROMAN ABRAMOVICH BOUGHT IT IN 2003. BUT THE THREAT OF SANCTIONS AND HIS TIES WITH PUTIN ARE PRESSURING THE BILLIONAIRE TO PUT THE CLUB FIRST AND SELL. BUYERS ARE CIRCLING AND ABRAMOVICH SAYS HE’LL FUNNEL SALE PROCEEDS TO AID UKRAINIAN WAR VICTIMS.

AND IN THE TOP SPOT – RUSSIAN VODKA. THOUGH MOSTLY SYMBOLIC, FEW THINGS ARE AS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE COUNTRY SO OF COURSE IT’S BEING CANCELED. IN SAN FRANCISCO THE MADRONE ART BAR DUMPED RUSSIAN DRINKS FROM ITS MENU AND THE BOND BAR WENT SO FAR AS TO RENAME THE MOSCOW MULE – YOU GUESSED IT – THE KIEV MULE. AND ONE OF MOST WELL KNOWN BRANDS IS DESPERATELY TRYING TO DISTANCE ITSELF FROM RUSSIAN ROOTS…STOLI IS ACTUALLY MADE IN LATVIA AND UNEQUIVOCALLY CONDEMNED RUSSIA’S MILITARY ACTION.

AS RUSSIA WAGES ITS WAR ON UKRAINE, THE WEST IS WAGING AN ECONOMIC WAR AGAINST IT. THAT’S YOUR FIVE FOR FRIDAY. I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO FOR JUST BUSINESS. SEE YOU MONDAY.