Dear Board of Raiffeisen Bank International AG, dear Mr. Johann Strobl,
Congratulations on what seems to be another successful year for Raiffeisen. We have a lot of admiration for your chosen tagline: #responsiblebanking.
As you celebrate a successful year and calculate your bonuses, please think of the millions of Ukrainians surviving in the cold and in the dark, waking up to air raid sirens and explosions in their cities.
We, the B4Ukraine coalition, call on you to make an immediate commitment to close down its business in Russia, an internationally recognized state sponsor of terrorism.
This coming Christmas Eve will mark 10 months since Russia invaded Ukraine.
All this time, Russia has been committing war crimes, including torture, rape, murders and destruction of civilian infrastructure. All while defying international law and undermining the rules-based international order, which enables companies like yours to prosper.
Yet, Raiffeisen Bank continues earning in Russia, paying taxes to Russia, working with the sanctioned state-owned Sberbank, investing in Russian oil & gas assets and ignoring the atrocities you indirectly contribute to.
Is this what responsible banking really is about? We call on you to face the reality, realize the risks inherent to cooperating with Russia’s terrorist state, and pull out of Russia so that you can in good conscience call yourself a leader in responsible banking.
On the other hand, if you continue to delay and to help prop up Russia’s militant regime, your website might as well look like this: https://www.russiazen.com