Airbnb has shut down operations in Russia and Belarus, CEO Brian Chesky announced Thursday.
Chesky Announcement manTwitter shortly after the company announced that it would offer up to free short-term housing 100,000 Refugees fleeing Ukraine due to Russian invasion.
The CEO of the home leasing company provided no further details as to why the military invasion of Ukraine suspended operations in Moscow’s allies Russia and Belarus.
The Epoch Times is seeking comments from Airbnb spokespersons.
Wednesday, Biden administration Revealed economic restrictions In Russia and Belarus in response to Putin’s “brutal” invasion of Ukraine.
“The United States will enable Putin to invade Ukraine, weaken Russia’s defense sector and its military power over the next few years, target Russia’s most important sources of wealth, and ban Russia’s territory from U.S. territory. We will take action to hold Belarus accountable, “Whitehouse said.
Some measures include extending export control policies to Belarus and preventing the country from diverting items such as defense, aerospace, and maritime sector technology and software to Russia.
The White House said the overall restrictions were designed to “block the import of technical goods in response to Putin’s support for the war of choice.” They also target entities that are supporting, supporting, contributing, or engaging with Russian and Belarusian troops.
“These actions will ensure that not only the military, but also the aerospace, maritime, and high-tech sectors do not acquire US technology and technology that can be used to support Russia’s technological maintenance and innovation. “The official said.
Airbnb CEO Chesky’s confirmed Twitter account now has a blue and yellow Ukrainian flag icon.
Cesky on Monday announcement Airbnb and Airbnb.org worked with their hosts to accommodate up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine for free.
He encouraged homeowners to help the cause by offering temporary free or discounted stays to refugees who are also exempt from Airbnb host and guest rates.
More than a million people have fled Ukraine and fled to neighboring countries since Russia’s invasion last week, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
The latest announcement from San Francisco-based Airbnb is to accommodate an additional 20,000 on February 22, after achieving its previous goal of accommodating 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan and other countries. After revealing.
In a statement, the company was “proud” to have achieved its previous goals. He said this was partially achieved by working closely with the Biden administration, the International Rescue Commission (IRC) and Church World Service (CWS). , And Jewish-American non-profit organization HIAS and other organizations.
To commemorate the “significant milestone,” Airbnb continues to support refugees and other displaced persons around the world and hopes to provide free housing to an additional 20,000 refugees, including Central America, in the future. It states.
We will also invest more to understand and track the impact of the program on people’s lives, in line with our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
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Katabella Roberts is a reporter currently based in Turkey. She focuses primarily on the United States and covers the news and business of The Epoch Times.