The window to act was closing.
At the urging of her daughter, Yuliia, and a Lincoln family she had only met over Zoom, Oksana Iziumova quickly packed a small bag into her car and drove west out of Odessa, the Ukrainian city of 1 million people on the shores of the Black Sea.
A three-hour trek to Moldova turned into a 27-hour ordeal at the border before Oksana was cleared to enter the former Soviet republic among other refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Out of harm’s way, at least for the time being, Oksana found a quiet rural area dotted with farmhouses about an hour’s drive northwest of Chisinau, Moldova’s capital, and hunkered down.
But over the next two weeks, amid the fog of war and rumors the Moldovan government was planning to declare martial law, Yuliia Iziumova could see her mother had not fled far enough from the conflict.
On a Zoom call with her daughter and her host family in Lincoln — Matthew Wegener and Donna Gould — Oksana expressed fears of not knowing where to go or finding a place she could stay.
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“There was so many reasons for her to be worried,” said Yuliia, a junior at Nebraska Wesleyan University. “It was really hard to watch her be that upset.”
As the two families talked through the situation and their options, Wegener offered an idea, a kind of “worst-case scenario” proposal, he said in a phone interview earlier this week.
The self-described “serial entrepreneur” from Lincoln could fly to Europe and meet up with Oksana, and help drive her the rest of the way to Germany, which was accepting Ukrainian refugees.
The idea was to get Oksana into a member country of NATO, where she would be safer and in reach of resources being marshaled for those fleeing the worsening conflict, Wegener explained.
Yuliia translated the proposal to her mother: “You could see the relief on her face.”
The Iziumovas signaled they wanted to move forward with the plan, and Wegener and Gould started figuring out the details.
They found an affordable plane ticket from Chicago to Budapest, Hungary — only $580, Wegener said — and drew up directions for Oksana to download that would get her out of Moldova, through Romania and into Hungary.
On Thursday, Wegener boarded a flight in Lincoln, with the plan he would meet Oksana in person for the first time Friday.
“We didn’t really need to talk about it,” Wegener said. “She’s part of our family; you do whatever you need to do to take care of them.”
As Oksana Iziumova prepared to head west out of Moldova, the plan to bring her to safety began to take shape.
More than a decade ago, Donna Gould’s parents, Jack and Harriet Gould, played host to Marshall Fellows visiting from Europe as part of an annual program in Lincoln.
“Along with other farm families, we had hosted numerous groups over a number of years,” Harriet Gould said. “Some of the guests you kind of connect with a little bit more than others.”
One of the deep connections forged was with Borbala Kriza, a documentary filmmaker living in Budapest.
Harriet had reconnected with Kriza on social media long ago, but the two had not communicated in years, she said. Still, knowing her son-in-law’s plan to meet with Oksana in Budapest, Harriet sent her friend a message on Facebook.
Bori, as Harriet knows her, responded quickly, telling her former host family she would do anything she could to help.
Soon after, Kriza met Yuliia, Oksana, Wegener and Donna Gould via Zoom, and they hammered out the details for getting Oksana to Budapest.
‘It was the hardest night of my life’ — Ukrainian student watching invasion from Nebraska Wesleyan campus
“She was just a godsend,” Harriet said. “Not only was she going to help (Wegener) in Budapest, but she has connections in Romania and all these other places where Yuliia’s mother is going to be traveling through. It was just wonderful.”
Oksana made it Suceava, Romania, on Wednesday, the first leg on her multi-day journey to Hungary. If all goes according to plan, Wegener said, he should arrive in Budapest at about the same time as she does.
The two will stay in the city of 1.8 million people for a few days, Wegener said, which will give him an opportunity to assess the organizations helping Ukrainian refugees.
Yuliia, meanwhile, reached out to Professor Jo Ann Fuess, her German instructor at Nebraska Wesleyan, to ask if she knew anybody in western Europe who would be willing to give her mother a home until the next step could be worked out.
Fuess, who has taught at the liberal arts university for 30 years, said she couldn’t make any promises but would reach out to friends and family living in Germany and Austria.
She sent out the plea Saturday. By early the next morning, there were “a large number” of replies, including from former students.
Among the replies was a message from Johanna Schwerdtle, a longtime friend, former office mate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and former German and French professor at Nebraska Wesleyan.
Schwerdtle, who moved back to Germany with her husband, Guenter, after his diagnosis of dementia, had discussed the situation with friends and family living in Neu-Ulm.
Fuess wasn’t looking for her friend to take on the extra responsibility, but after Schwerdtle said there was a team of people in the town on the Danube River ready and willing to help, it made sense to send Oksana that direction.
Among those ready to receive Oksana were Russian and Ukrainian speakers, people who understood the German bureaucracy, as well as the U.S. immigration and refugee system.
The Schwerdtles grew up in post-World War II Germany and understand the ravages and traumas of war, Fuess said, and were touched by Yuliia’s story and connection to their home in Lincoln.
“She has plenty of space and a huge heart, and I thought ‘That would be a good landing place for Yuliia’s mother,’” Fuess added.
Reaching that landing place is going to be an experience, Wegener said. He doesn’t speak Russian, Hungarian or German. Oksana has limited English skills.
The two will work it out, he said, and he’ll stay in Neu-Ulm for a few days to help Oksana get settled.
Since she left home with only a small suitcase, the family has set up a GoFundMe to help Oksana buy new clothes and anything else she needs as she makes a new home more than 1,200 miles from Odessa.
Whatever funds aren’t needed will be donated to an aid organization, Wegener said.
The plan came together quickly, but with so many questions being aired about what can be done to help those in need, Wegener said he saw a way to act.
“My whole premise has been, ‘I’m just going to go,’” he said. “That’s the only thing I know how to do.”
Yuliia Iziumova also left Lincoln this week, bound for Disney World in Florida.
The spring break trip — planned long before Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, before the bombings of civilian areas and the swift penalties enacted by Western countries in response — has been a welcome distraction.
Watching as the plan to bring her mother to Neu-Ulm has fallen into place with help from people she’s never met — all with some connection to Lincoln — Yuliia says she’s overwhelmed.
The surrealism of watching her home country be the center of a war has transformed into the surrealism of experiencing compassion shown by her American host family, as well as strangers in Hungary and Germany.
“It’s still hard to believe this is happening to me,” she said. “I am full of gratitude.”
These are the companies pulling back from Russia
McDonald’s
McDonald’s is temporarily closing its Russian restaurants. Eighty-four percent of McDonald’s locations in Russia are operated by the company, according to the document. Russia’s restaurants, along with another 108 in Ukraine, all operated by McDonald’s, accounted for 9% of the company’s revenue in 2021.
Starbucks
In a Tuesday message to employees, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said that “today, we have decided to suspend all business activity in Russia.”
He added that “our licensed partner has agreed to immediately pause store operations and will provide support to the nearly 2,000 [employees] in Russia who depend on Starbucks for their livelihood.”
Johnson added that Starbucks is halting shipment of all Starbucks products to Russia.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola said that it is “suspending its business in Russia.”
The company stated that “our hearts are with the people who are enduring unconscionable effects from these tragic events in Ukraine,” adding that it will monitor the situation as things change.
Ford
Ford announced it was suspending its operations in Russia. The American automaker has a 50% stake in Ford Sollers, a joint venture that employs at least 4,000 workers and is shared with Russian company Sollers.
The company has plants in St. Petersburg, Elabuga and Naberezhnye Chelny but said it had “significantly wound down” its Russian operations in recent years. The automaker said it was “deeply concerned about the situation in Ukraine,” and noted it has “a strong contingent of Ukrainian nationals working at Ford around the world.”
General Motors
General Motors said it was halting all exports to Russia “until further notice.”
GM doesn’t have a significant presence there: It sells only about 3,000 vehicles a year through 16 dealerships, according to a spokesperson. That’s out of the more than 6 million vehicles the Detroit-based automaker sells annually.
Toyota
Toyota announced it would stop making cars in Russia or importing them to the country “until further notice, due to supply chain disruptions.”
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is stopping production of vehicles in Russia and has suspended exports to the Russian market. The decision applies to the Russian production sites in Kaluga and Nizhny Novgorod.
Nissan
Nissan has suspended the export of vehicles to Russia, adding that it “anticipates that production will stop soon at our plant in St. Petersburg.”
Boeing
Boeing said it would suspend support for Russian airlines.
A company spokesperson confirmed the aircraft maker was pausing “parts, maintenance and technical support services for Russian airlines,” and had also “suspended major operations in Moscow and temporarily closed our office in Kyiv.”
Airbus
Airbus followed Boeing with a similar move. In a statement, the company said it has “suspended support services to Russian airlines, as well as the supply of spare parts to the country.”
Yum Brands: KFC and Pizza Hut
Yum Brands, which has 1,000 KFC and Pizza Hut franchises in Russia, said it would suspend all investment and restaurant development in the country. The company said it would “assess additional options” and redirect all profits from operations in Russia to humanitarian efforts.
PepsiCo
PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta laid out how PepsiCo is approaching the situation.
“Given the horrific events occurring in Ukraine we are announcing the suspension of the sale of Pepsi-Cola, and our global beverage brands in Russia, including 7Up and Mirinda.” Laguarta added that Pepsi is suspending capital investments, ads and promotional activity in Russia.
But PepsiCo will continue to sell some of its products, including baby formula, baby food, milk and other dairy options.
Ikea
Ikea, the world’s largest furniture company, is closing its 17 stores in Russia. The company said the conflict is having a “huge human impact” and is “resulting in serious disruptions to supply chain and trading conditions.” In addition to pausing its retail and manufacturing operations in Russia, it will suspend all trade with the country and its ally, Belarus.
Ikea said 15,000 workers would be directly affected by the shutdown in the region. The company will continue to pay them, at least for the time being.
FedEx
UPS and FedEx have suspended operations in Russia and Belarus. FedEx said it suspended operations to “support the people of Ukraine.” DHL said it has suspended inbound shipments to Russia and Belarus.
UPS
UPS and FedEx have suspended operations in Russia and Belarus. FedEx said it suspended operations to “support the people of Ukraine.” DHL said it has suspended inbound shipments to Russia and Belarus.
Apple
Apple has stopped selling its products in Russia.
The tech giant said in a statement that it was “deeply concerned” about the Russian invasion. In response, the company has also moved to limit access to digital services, such as Apple Pay, inside Russia, and restricted the availability of Russian state media applications outside the country.
Meta, Facebook
Facebook-parent Meta said it would block access to Russian news outlets Sputnik and RT, the Russia-backed television network infamous for promoting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s agenda, across the European Union.
The move comes after the company received “requests from a number of governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media,” Nick Clegg, Meta’s VP of global affairs, wrote in a tweet.
Meta has also said it has applied algorithmic restrictions on Russian state media that should prevent those posts from surfacing as prominently in users’ feeds.
Twitter has similarly announced plans to “reduce the visibility and amplification” of Russian state media content.
Netflix
Netflix said it will be suspending its streaming service in Russia.
“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a Netflix spokesperson told CNN.
No other details were provided.
Previously, the company said it was refusing to air Russian state TV channels — something that the platform would have been required to do starting this week under Russian law.
“Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service,” the company told CNN Business.
Spotify
Spotify said it has closed its office in Russia “indefinitely” and restricted shows “owned and operated by Russian state-affiliated media.” The streaming service removed all content from RT and Sputnik in Europe and other regions, a company spokesman said.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the unprovoked attack on Ukraine,” the spokesman added. “Our first priority over the past week has been the safety of our employees and to ensure that Spotify continues to serve as an important source of global and regional news at a time when access to information is more important than ever.”
Roku
Roku, which sells hardware allowing users to stream content through the internet, has banned RT worldwide.
YouTube
YouTube, which is owned by Google, said it blocked Russian state media within Ukraine, including RT. The video platform also said it would be “significantly limiting recommendations to these channels.”
Google and YouTube have also said they will no longer allow Russian state media outlets to run ads or monetize their content.
Airbnb
Airbnb cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky said in a tweet that his company was suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus.
Intel
Intel has stopped all shipments to Russia and Belarus, the company announced.
Microsoft
Microsoft said it was suspending all new sales of its products and services in Russia. President and vice-chair Brad Smith also said the company is stopping “many aspects” of its business in Russia in compliance with government sanctions. Microsoft also said it will continue aiding in Ukrainian cybersecurity.
IBM
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said the company has suspended all business in Russia.
“In Ukraine, we have been in constant touch with our local teams and continue to provide assistance that includes relocation and financial support,” Krishna said. “The safety and security of IBMers and their families in all areas impacted by this crisis remains our top priority.”
Amazon Web Services
Amazon’s cloud division, Amazon Web Services, said March 8 it would halt new sign-ups for the service in Russia and Ukraine. The company has already had a “long-standing policy of not doing business with the Russian government” and does not have data centers, infrastructure or offices in Russia, the company said in a blog post.
“AWS has clear terms of service where if a customer is using AWS services to threaten, incite, promote, or actively encourage violence, terrorism, or other serious harm, they will not be permitted to use our services,” Amazon said. “Any customer we know of who is participating in this type of behavior will have their access to AWS suspended.”
BP
BP said it was planning to exit its 19.75% stake in Russia’s biggest oil company, Rosneft, and suspending their joint ventures — which amount to one of the biggest foreign investments in Russia.
Exxon
Exxon pledged to leave its last remaining oil-and-gas project in Russia and not to invest in new developments in the country.
The Sakhalin-1 venture is “one of the largest single international direct investments in Russia,” according to the project’s website. An Exxon subsidiary has a 30% share, while Rosneft also owns a stake.
By quitting this project, Exxon would end more than a quarter-century of continuing business presence in Russia.
General Electric
General Electric suspended most of its operations in Russia, with the exception of “providing essential medical equipment and supporting existing power services.”
Shell
Shell is getting out of Russia and ditching its joint ventures with Gazprom, including its involvement with the moribund Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.
The UK-based oil company said on February 28 it would dump its stake in a liquified natural gas facility, its stake in a project to develop fields in western Siberia and its interest in an exploration project in the Gydan peninsula in northwestern Siberia.
“We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security,” Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said in a statement.
Shell has also decided to stop buying Russian oil and gas and will close its service station network.
TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies also condemned Russia’s actions and said it would no longer provide capital for new projects in the country.
The French oil giant has done business in Russia for 25 years, and recently helped launch a major liquefied natural gas project on the Siberian coast.
Mastercard and Visa
Mastercard said it was suspending its network services in Russia. Cards supported by Russian banks will not work in the company’s network, and any cards issued outside of Russia will not work within the country.
The credit giant, which has operated in Russia for more than 25 years, had previously announced that it had “blocked multiple financial institutions” from its network as a result of anti-Russian sanctions, and would “continue to work with regulators in the days ahead.”
Visa said it is suspending all of its operations in Russia. It will end all Visa transactions within its borders, and Visa cards issued in Russia will no longer work outside of the country. In addition, all Visa cards worldwide “will no longer work within the Russian Federation,” Visa said.
American Express
American Express said in a statement that globally issued American Express cards will no longer work in Russia, and cards issued in Russia won’t work outside the country. The company also said it is ending its business operations in Belarus.
DirecTV
DirecTV is cutting ties with RT.
A spokesperson for the US satellite carrier told CNN Business that it had already been reviewing whether to renew the outlet’s carriage agreement, which was due to expire later this year. Russia’s war on Ukraine sped up its decision, according to the representative.
Disney
Disney is also suspending the release of its theatrical films in Russia, citing “the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”
The entertainment giant had multiple films set for release in Russia in the coming months. That includes Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” on May 5 and Pixar’s “Lightyear” on June 16.
“We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation,” a Disney spokesperson said.
WarnerMedia
WarnerMedia said on February 28 that it would pause the release of “The Batman” in Russia.
The film is one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, and is being released in most countries by Warner Bros. which, like CNN, is a unit of WarnerMedia.
A company spokesperson said that the decision was made “in light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,” and that the company hoped “for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy.”
WarnerMedia is also pausing all new business in Russia, ceasing broadcast of its channels, halting all new content licensing with Russian entities, and pausing planned theatrical and games releases.
H&M
H&M will pause all sales in Russia.
In a statement, the company said that it was “deeply concerned about the tragic developments in Ukraine, and stands with all the people who are suffering.”
The clothing giant’s stores in Ukraine are already closed due to safety concerns.
H&M Group, which operates a number of brands, had 168 stores in Russia as of last November, according to its website.
Heineken
Heineken will stop producing and selling beer in Russia.
The brewer announced on March 9 that it would “take immediate steps to ring-fence” its Russian business, “to stop the flow of monies, royalties and dividends” out of the country.
The beverage giant, which sells into more than 190 countries, had already announced a suspension on new investments and exports to Russia.
“We are assessing the strategic options for the future of our Russian operations,” it said in a statement. “We see a clear distinction between the actions of the government and our employees in Russia.”
Puma
German sports company Puma said it is suspending operations of all of its stores in Russia. The company said it operates more than 100 stores in the country.
Prada
Luxury fashion house Prada is suspending its retail operations in Russia.
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble CEO Jon Moeller said in a letter to employees on March 7 that the company has “discontinued all new capital investments in Russia” and is “suspending all media, advertising, and promotional activity.”
“We are significantly reducing our product portfolio to focus on basic health, hygiene and personal care items needed by the many Russian families who depend on them in their daily lives,” Moeller said. “As we proceed with the reduced scale of our Russian operations, we will continue to adjust as necessary.”
Unilever
Unilever said it will “continue to supply our everyday essential food and hygiene products made in Russia to people in the country,” adding “we will keep this under close review.” But the company noted it is has suspended imports of its products to Russia and is stopping all investment in the country, in addition to stopping exports from there. It said it won’t profit from its presence in Russia.
Maersk
Maersk and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company are both halting cargo bookings with Russia.
“As the stability and safety of our operations is already being directly and indirectly impacted by sanctions, new Maersk bookings to and from Russia will be temporarily suspended, with exception of foodstuffs, medical and humanitarian supplies,” the Denmark-based company said in a statement.
“We are deeply concerned by how the crisis keeps escalating in Ukraine,” the company added.
Other companies pulling back from Russia
- Equinor will also begin to exit its joint ventures in Russia, the Norwegian oil and gas company announced. “We are all deeply troubled by the invasion of Ukraine, which represents a terrible setback for the world,” said CEO Anders Opedal. The company said it had $1.2 billion in long-term investments in Russia at the end of 2021. It has operated in Russia for more than 30 years and has a cooperation agreement with Rosneft.
- Norway’s $1.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund will divest shares in 47 Russian companies as well as Russian government bonds, the Norwegian prime minister said.
- Moody’s said it is suspending commercial operations in Russia. Its investors service will “maintain analytical coverage for existing ratings from outside Russia.”
- Inditex, the parent company of Zara, said it is pausing operations in Russia and closing 502 stores in the country. In a statement, the company said Russia accounts for about 8.5% of its earnings before interest and tax.
- Mothercare is suspending business in Russia and stopping shipments there. “Our local partner has confirmed that it will be immediately pausing operations in some 120 stores and online,” it said on March 9. Russia accounts for around 20% to 25% of sales for the retailer, which specializes in goods for parents and babies.
- Estée Lauder Companies said March 7 that it will “suspend all commercial activity in Russia, including closing every store we own and operate, as well as our brand sites and shipments to any of our retailers in Russia.” The company had already suspended business investments and initiatives in Russia, it said in a statement.
- MSC, a Swiss-owned container shipping line, said its suspension would cover “all access areas, including Baltics, Black Sea and Far East Russia.”
- French train maker Alstom said that it will “suspend all deliveries towards Russia” in a statement on March 9. The group is also suspending all future business investments in Russia, it added. Alstom owns a 20% stake — as a capital investment — in Transmashholding (TMH), the Russian locomotives and rail equipment provider. “There was no material business nor operational link between Alstom and TMH,” the company said. “The book value will be re-assessed as part of the fiscal year 2021/22 closing accounts.”
Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS
