On May 25, a coalition of 30 civil society organisations from Ukraine and elsewhere sent an open letter addressed to the CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), Johann Strobl, urging the Austrian bank to immediately leave Russia, and do so without transferring valuable assets to the Russian state which could be used to prolong its war on Ukraine.
This open letter appeals to RBI to do the “moral” thing and exit Russia as soon as possible without further supporting the Kremlin’s finances in the process. Signatories of this letter also call on RBI to ensure that all profits made from an eventual sale of its Russian assets are used for the reconstruction of Ukraine and to support its people.
The letter has so far been co-signed by African Law Foundation (AFRILAW), Bank Climate Advocates, Blue Dalian, Boycott Russia, Buy Responsibly Foundation, CEE Bankwatch Network, Center for Civil Liberties, Centre for Economic Strategy, Crude Accountability, Earthsight, Fund Our Future, Green Longjiang, Greenpeace CEE, Heartland Initiative, International Partnership for Human Rights, KSE Institute, Market Forces, Jamaa Resource Initiatives, Norwegian Helsinki Committee, PAX, Profundo, Progressive Shopper, Razom We Stand, Re-set: platform for socio-ecological transformation, Rinascimento Green, SOMO, Urgewald and Vitsche e.V.