Estonian Transport startup Bolt will donate €5 million to charities supporting Ukraine and will shut operations in Belarus and remove Russian products from its grocery delivery service. "Freedom is worth more," the founder said.
Bolt founder and CEO Markus Villig wrote on social media on Tuesday the company plans to donate €1 million to support Ukraine and more than €4 million will be given over the coming two weeks.
Outlining the companies plans, he said it will take three "big steps:": "1. Donating 5 percent of all European Bolt orders the next two weeks to support the Ukrainian people. 2. Removing Russian products from Bolt Market. 3. Shutting down our operations in Belarus. These will cost us millions. But freedom is worth more."
He wrote the company is one of the largest employers in Central & Eastern Europe and needs "to lead with real actions" adding "we cannot settle for social media posts".
"We stand against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We stand with our 112 employees in Ukraine. We stand against darkness. Слава Україні! [glory to Ukraine]," Villig added.
Villig also wrote about Estonia's history and why it is important to support Ukraine during this time.
"Coming from Estonia we know the value of freedom all too well. Our parents and grandparents were waiting for the occupation to end for 48 long years. Europe cannot make the same mistake again," he said.
On February 24, Russia launched an attack on Ukraine which is ongoing. It is supported by Belarus, which has allowed Russian troops to cross its border into Ukraine and fired missiles from its territory.
Bolt, founded in 2013, is an Estonian mobility company that offers vehicle hire, car-sharing, and food delivery services in over 300 cities in 45 countries in Europe, Africa, Western Asia and Latin America.
The company's headquarters are in Tallinn, errnews reports.
