The Refrigeration Association of Ukraine has sent an open letter to the European Association of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Contractors (AREA), its president Marco Buoni and a number of manufacturers in which it calls for a complete boycott of Russia and Belarus.
The letter, signed by Chairman of the Ukrainian association Serhii Anashkin, encourages industry stakeholders to “completely interrupt supply chains to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.” The association includes all types of refrigeration systems and components, refrigerants, raw materials, controllers and other electronic components and software in its appeal.
Refrigeration technologies are used in many military applications. These include missiles (to cool rocket fuel), in military warehouses and weapons plants and in ships and vehicles to cool engines and crews, the letter noted.
In addition to the boycott, the association in Ukraine is also asking that no companies or organizations invest in any refrigeration or heating projects in Russia and Belarus, be it for production, installation or service. Lastly, the letter asks that anybody able to do so support Ukraine with humanitarian or military aid in its time of need.
“Please help us in this battle for European values and over the territory of Ukraine as an independent country,” Anashkin wrote in the letter. “We will be glad and grateful to those who will help us in these issues, and after the war ends, the Ukrainian market will be very promising and attractive for investment, as we will soon become members of the European Union.”
“We fight for human values and for you, so we ask for your help in this struggle,” the letter concluded.
Want to find out more, or have something to say about this story? Join the ATMO Connect network to meet and engage with like-minded stakeholders in the clean cooling and natural refrigerant arena.
