In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Yamaha Motor Company announced a $700 humanitarian aid donation to Ukraine and neighboring regions.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin mobilized his army to invade Russia's neighboring country Ukraine. Tensions have been building between the two nations for a long time now, and this served as a turning point in the relations between the two countries. What followed could be the worst round of economic sanctions against Russia in recent memory.
Many Western countries have imposed harsh sanctions on Russia, banning imports and exports of products and effectively crippling its economy in order to render the country unable to finance its ongoing invasion. The private sector, especially major auto industry giants, announced withdrawal and suspension of operations in the country. Even in the world of sports, events are being canceled left and right, as well as athletes and teams being stripped of their privilege to participate in sports. In particular, the FIM canceled all events in Russia and suspended the racing license of Russian and Belarusian drivers.
While harsh sanctions followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, several companies, on the other hand, have devoted resources to aiding Ukraine. Honda, for example, recently pledged one million euros to be allocated to relief operations in Ukraine through the Japanese Red Cross. Its fellow Japanese manufacturer Yamaha also wanted to participate, pledging a donation of $700 in humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
The donation will be made through Japan Platform, a non-profit organization, and the funds will be used explicitly to provide humanitarian aid to those in need since the Russian invasions in Ukraine. In its press release announcing the news, Yamaha Motor expressed its deepest condolences to all the victims affected by the war in Ukraine, and the company also expressed its hopes for a return to peace as quickly as possible. .
At the same time, and particularly in MotoGP, several riders, including Franco Morbidelli, displayed messages of support for Ukraine on their helmets and motorcycles.
