As Ukraine’s soldiers continue to die in attacks by Russian-led forces in the Donbas, the U.S.-based conglomerate Amazon is profiting from sales of products emblazoned with the symbols of one of the fake republics that the Kremlin created in the east after it launched its war on Ukraine in 2014.
Ukrainians aren’t happy.
Amazon, the world’s largest internet retailer, is currently selling flags, beach towels, bumper stickers, balaclavas, T-shirts, sweatshirts and even aprons emblazoned with the symbols of one of the Kremlin-created “republics.”
Ukrainians, from ordinary members of the public to members of the government, have expressed outrage on social media about the sales of such products by Amazon.
Ulana Suprun, Ukraine’s acting health minister, wrote on Facebook on Nov. 19, that “Amazon profits from promoting terrorism.”
She urged Ukrainians to call for a ban on sales of products with the symbols of the fake republic, and send emails to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos asking him to remove such products from sale.
The Embassy of Ukraine in the United States then sent an official letter to Bezos on Nov. 20, asking him to remove the products.
According to the letter, “promoting the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic means the justification of the ongoing aggression and disregard for the people affected.”
Amazon’s management had not responded to the letter as of Nov. 21.
Amazon, the world’s largest internet retailer, sells flags, beach towels, bumper stickers, balaclavas, T-shirts, sweatshirts and aprons emblazoned with the symbols of the Kremlin-created “republic”.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians have apparently been reviewing some of the products. All the reviews found by the Kyiv Post were negative, and most were posted on or after Nov. 19, when Suprun called attention to the items being sold by Amazon.
“DPR is a terrorist separatists organization. Might as well start selling ISIS stickers,” wrote one reviewer, Max H, on Nov. 18, reviewing some mobile phone cover stickers bearing the flag of the Kremlin-created “republic” in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
“There is no such place as the Donetsk Peoples Republic. It is a made up Russian fantasy land,” wrote Roman K, reviewing on Nov. 19 a $29.99 sweatshirt with the flag of the Kremlin-created “republic” in Donetsk.
In July 2018, Amazon announced that it would automatically remove products that violate its policies, and that it would prohibit products that promote racial, sexual or religious intolerance, together with organizations that promote such views, as well as hatred and violence.
However, items bearing the flag of the Kremlin-created “republic” in Donetsk were still on sale as of Nov. 21.
More than 10,300 people have been killed in Ukraine since the Kremlin unleashed its war in the Donbas in April 2014, and many thousands more than that injured, according to United Nations estimates. Another 1.5 million people have been displaced by the fighting.
