Apple’s Tim Cook Sends Email to Ukrainian Employees: Here’s What He Said

Apple's Tim Cook recently sent an email to its employees saying that Apple is donating to humanitarian relief efforts and supplementing employees' donations to eligible organizations even those made on Feb. 25.

Cook's email also stated that Apple is also assisting its Ukrainian employees and their families "in any way [they] can," including those outside Ukraine.

The email comes as the war between Ukraine and Russia rages on in the European continent.

Details on Apple's Donation Efforts

According to The Verge's article, Cook stated in his email that Apple is donating to humanitarian relief efforts and supplementing employees' donations to eligible organizations at a 2:1 rate. Cook added that the company would retroactively do the same to donations made on February 25.

February 25 was the day after Russian armed forces entered Ukraine.

Cook's email also stated that Apple has been in contact with its Ukrainian employees and their respective families "in any way [they] can," including those outside Ukraine. The email also included how its Ukrainian team members currently outside the country can ask for assistance and support.

"This moment calls for unity, it calls for courage, and it reminds us that we must never lose sight of the humanity we all share," Cook said. "In these difficult times, I take comfort in knowing that we are united in our commitment to each other, to our users, and to being a force for good in the world."

Apple's Other Contributions

Apple's donations to Ukraine is part of its ongoing efforts to address the ongoing situation in the country. It recently discontinued selling its products to Russia due to the continuing political turmoil in the region, meaning that customers in Russia will be unable to purchase Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, and Macs online , per a previous iTech Post article.

This suspension means any person in Russia attempting to purchase Apple products on its website would be met with the words "delivery unavailable" when trying to add a product to the online cart.

The company has also pulled out RT News and Sputnik News from the App Store worldwide except in Russia, as these news outlets are known to be part of the Russian state media, per a Business Insider article.

Apple has also disabled Apple Pay and its other services in Russia, affecting the country's financial institutions such as VTB Group, Sovcombank, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, and Otkritie FC Bank, per a separate article from The Verge.

Additionally, while customers can still use bank cards from these banks within Russia, they can no longer use them to pay for purchases made to stores and services belonging to countries that placed sanctions on Russia online.

This also includes card payments through Apple Pay, although Russia's Central Bank says contactless payments will still be available should the banks that offer them support such a feature.