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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 5 Maart 2022

Backlash against Russian-branded gas stations hits Americans

with Ukraine and I’m fully states, mainly in the north- It wasn’t immediately clear
in support of Russian sanc- eastern U.S. Thursday when the New-
tions,” Verma said Wednes- ark stations’ licenses would
day in front of Newark’s City Newark officials said going be revoked, or if the city ad-
Hall. “But I’m baffled and after the Lukoil stations was ministrator might halt the
confused how people sitting the moral thing to do, even if suspension. Ramos, who in-
in these positions without they are locally owned. troduced the resolution, said
having any of their facts to- he anticipated it would still
gether and without having “All of us are horrified by the happen.
full knowledge of how things images we’re seeing” from
are done can introduce and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Under a typical Lukoil fran-
change laws and change peo- Council Member Anibal Ra- chise agreement, the compa-
ple’s lives just like that.” mos said Wednesday. “To- ny acts as the station’s land-
day Newark is standing in lord. The station pays rent,
In some places, people have solidarity with a number of taxes and utilities to the com-
been pouring out Smirnoff countries around the world pany and also agrees to buy a
(AP) — Outraged by the Phillips 66 refinery. vodka, not realizing that the who are supporting democ- certain amount of fuel each
invasion of Ukraine, law- beverage is owned by an Eng- racy and taking sanctions month.
makers in New Jersey’s The campaign targeting the lish company and the bottles against the Russian federa-
largest city lashed out at gas stations is one example consumed in the U.S. are tion.” Sal Risalvato, executive di-
one of the closest symbols of collateral damage from distilled in Illinois. rector of New Jersey Gaso-
of Russia they could find the backlash against Russia, A phone message couldn’t line, Convenience Store and
— a pair of Lukoil gas sta- as government officials and Charlie Tgibedes, owner of be left at a listing for Lukoil Automotive Association,
tions. customers race to show their Box Seats, a restaurant and Americas Corp. in New York. called the crackdown on the
support for Ukraine by boy- sports bar in North Attle- stations “nothing more than
The Newark City Council cotting products and com- boro, Massachusetts, told In a statement posted on its political theater.”
voted unanimously Wednes- panies — or things they per- The Sun Chronicle newspa- website Thursday, Lukoil’s
day to ask the city’s business ceive to be Russian. per he’s not ordering more board of directors expressed “All of the station owners
administrator to suspend the vodka from Russian com- “its deepest concerns about condemn what Russia is do-
service stations’ operating li- Roger Verma, a New Jersey panies but questioned the the tragic events in Ukraine” ing in Ukraine, but do not
censes, citing Lukoil’s base in resident who immigrated wisdom of tossing what he and called for “the soonest deserve to lose their busi-
Moscow. from India 45 years ago, already has. termination of the armed nesses and their investments
has owned the franchise for conflict.” because of Russia’s bad be-
In doing so, however, they one of the Lukoil stations in “It looks good doing it, but havior,” Risalvato wrote in an
may have predominantly Newark since 2005. He said the stuff is already in the “We express our sincere em- email.
been hurting Americans. the decision to yank his li- building and paid for. You’re pathy for all victims, who
cense left him baffled and just hurting yourself dump- are affected by this tragedy. Ramos said the license sus-
The stations are franchises concerned that he could be ing it down the drain,” he We strongly support a last- pension in Newark is meant
owned by locals, not Rus- put out of business, which said. ing ceasefire and a settlement to be temporary and his of-
sians. They employ mostly would affect his 16 employ- of problems through serious fice had received calls from
New Jersey residents. And ees. On social media, people have negotiations and diplomacy,” employers offering to give
the gasoline sold at the sta- called for boycotts of Lukoil it said. jobs to any affected gas sta-
tions comes from a local “Let me be clear that I stand stations, which operate in 11 tion workers.

Peace Corps plans to start sending volunteers overseas again

(AP) - The Peace Corps recruiting for 24 posts. will on helping communities things started to open back
will start sending volun- overcome issues exacerbated up. Now that things have, I Since those evacuations, the
teers overseas again in “Over the past two years, our by the pandemic, such as in- am just over the moon about Peace Corps has used volun-
mid-March after it evac- primary goal has been to re- creased school dropout rates, it.” teers to help with the COV-
uated them from posts turn volunteers to the more literary skills and preparing ID-19 response domestically
around the world two than 60 countries that are en- young adults for work. The Peace Corps marks its and developed a virtual ser-
years ago due to the COV- thusiastically awaiting their 61th anniversary this week. vice pilot program. Not be-
ID-19 pandemic, the U.S. return. And, we have weath- “I was absolutely ecstatic. Two years ago, it had 7,000 fore March 2020 had the or-
government program an- ered the waves and variants This has been a dream of volunteers in 62 countries, ganization founded by Presi-
nounced Thursday. of the COVID-19 situation mine ever since I finished when they were evacuated dent John F. Kennedy needed
at each post and reengineered high school,” said Campbell and sent back to the United to evacuate all its volunteers
An initial group of new vol- Peace Corps systems, poli- Martin, 23, of Sonoma, Cali- States. at the same time.
unteers and those who were cies, and procedures to align fornia, who applied last sum-
evacuated in March 2020 with today’s reality,” Peace mer after graduating from
as the coronavirus began Corps CEO Carol Spahn UCLA and is scheduled be-
to spread across the globe said. gin serving in June as a pri-
will go to Zambia and the mary teacher/trainer in Gam-
Dominican Republic this Besides their primary work bia. He still needs medical
month, according to a Peace on local issues, volunteers and legal clearance.
Corps statement. will be be involved in COV-
ID-19 response and recovery, “I want a career in foreign
The Peace Corps plans to re- the Peace Corps said. service and I knew Peace
turn volunteers to their posts Corps was a wonderful step,
throughout the year, based on In Zambia, volunteers will not only to serve as a global
the number of COVID-19 coordinate with local lead- citizen but also Peace Corps
cases and hospital capacity ers and partner ministries to — its mission, its intent — is
in the host country and the provide COVID-19 educa- something I very much be-
Peace Corps’ ability trans- tion and promote access to lieve in,” he said. “As COVID
port volunteers to medical vaccinations for communi- shut the world down, I knew,
evacuation centers if there’s ties, officials said. In the Do- so too, would those opportu-
an emergency. It is currently minican Republic, the focus nities shut down for me until