Like the rest of the world, we are watching the war in Ukraine with horror and condemn the invasion in the strongest possible terms. An act as inhumane and unjustified as this is an attack on democracy and humanity. Its consequences affect us all.
Economic sanctions are an important mechanism in the efforts to restore peace. We are in constant exchange with governments around the world, have every confidence in their guidance, and fully support the actions taken so far. We are stopping business in Russia and Belarus aligned with sanctions and, in addition, pausing all sales of SAP services and products in Russia and Belarus.
With hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their homes, finding and providing shelter quickly is crucial. We have allocated an initial €1 million in humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine and are working with national Red Cross organizations, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and other organizations to offer our technology to support their efforts.
For example, our software solutions can help organizations register refugees, coordinate volunteer efforts, and procure humanitarian goods. Additionally, we are working with Qualtrics to help non-profits and regional governments understand the most pressing needs of the people they serve and route them with accommodations and essential supplies on the ground. We have also offered to convert our office space at locations across Europe into warehousing and accommodation for refugees.
The safety and protection of our colleagues in the region is of the utmost importance. For those colleagues who chose to leave Ukraine, we are providing financial and logistical support to try to make this incredibly difficult step as easy as possible.
The SAP family stands with everyone affected and horrified by the events in Ukraine. There are no winners in war, and we join others in calling for the restoration of peace.
Updated March 9: We have suspended sales in Russia and Belarus. We stand with the people of Ukraine and condemn the war.
Christian Klein is CEO of SAP SE.