Co-op is first UK supermarket to stop selling all Russian vodka over Ukraine war

dailystar.co.uk:

Russian vodka off their shelves for the "foreseeable future" over the invasion of Ukraine, becoming the first UK supermarket to do so.It comes as more than one million people have fled Ukraine while Vladimir Putin's bloody bombardment of the country enters its second week.Russian Standard is one the best selling vodkas in the UK, brought to our shores in 1998 by billionaire Roustam Tariko.It had been priced at £14 per 70cl bottle, but has now disappeared from Co-op's website.

Explaining the move, a Co-op spokesperson said: "In response to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and as a sign of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, we have taken the decision to remove from sale Russian-made vodka."Russian Standard has been taken off sale with immediate effect because it is overtly marketed as being Russian and produced there."It will not be stocked for the foreseeable future."They added: "Our members and customers will also be able to support the humanitarian response to help those displaced by the conflict by donating at our stores to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal."The appeal will launch across our 2,600 stores today (Thursday 3 March 2022) and we’ll be match funding our customers donations up to £100,000."Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, and those in Russia who oppose this invasion."Although Co-op are the first supermarket move against Russian vodka, this isn't the first example of UK businesses showing solidarity with the Ukrainian cause.

Wetherspoons announced this week that Baltika lager, made in Russia, would be removed from all of their pubs. A spokesperson said: "In light of the situation in Ukraine we just felt that we could not stock it anymore."As of today all those.