The world has been shaken by Russia's military aggression and united in the desire to provide aid to the victims.
Numerous countries have supported Ukraine at national level. Among them, Latvia stands out. Its aid has become the largest relative to GDP in the world and is continuing to increase. Alongside the Latvian government, entrepreneurs have also been active. They have refused to do business with Russian enterprises and have hired Ukrainian refugees. The help of Latvian entrepreneurs has also proved to be a genuine boon in the form of money, goods and services for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the populations of liberated territories.
Peace is what every Ukrainian desires now, and step by step together we are inching towards it. Due to the war, many people need humanitarian aid, but luckily, there are also compassionate Latvian entrepreneurs who are helping the victims to survive these challenging times. One by one, businessmen have joined humanitarian aid and other initiatives without waiting for the West to impose sanctions on the aggressor state. Who are these successful businessmen with rational minds and big, warm hearts, who resisted the temptation to stand aside and just observe events in Ukraine? Here are their stories.
Vitālijs Čmihovs, owner of a lumber processing company
One of the biggest supporters of Ukraine is SIA Gaujas koks. As early as the fourth day of the war, this timber company transferred EUR 1 million to the Ukrainians. By way of comparison, Gaujas koks' annual sales revenue is EUR 76 million, so Vitalijs Čmihovs donated 1% of this. He points out that despite the negative consequences for business growth, the primary task is to defeat evil. The businessman augmented his financial support by making payments to provide Ukrainians with housing, hotels and means of subsistence in Latvia.
Dobeles dzirnavnieks' shareholders
Dobeles dzirnavnieks is one of Latvia's biggest food production companies and is actively supporting Ukraine.
During this period Dobeles dzirnavnieks:
- has employed 16 Ukrainians,
- together with VG Kvadra Pak AS organised the transfer of 10 cents from the sale of every pack of oat flakes and wholegrain cereal flakes,
- food packages were delivered to liberated territories in the Donbas and Mykolaiv region,
- the company's employees are helping refugees in various ways in the course of their daily lives, for example, by taking them to the bank to open an account, organising appointments to see the vet with pets, etc. The most delicious bread is baked from flour supplied by Dobeles dzirnavnieks Kharkiv Oblast. Residents and soldiers in liberated territories are delighted to enjoy it.
VS Energy Group and its shareholder Vilis Dambiņš
One of the owners of Khersonoblenergo, Kirovohradoblenergo, Rivneoblenergo, Zhytomyroblenergo and Chernihivoblenergo is the Latvian entrepreneur Vilis Dambiņš. Since the start of Russia's aggression in Ukraine, VS Energy Group and its co-founder Vilis Dambiņš have personally supported Ukraine in its struggle against the occupier. In financial terms, their support totals over UAH 60 million. On a personal level, Vilis Dambiņš has donated a total of EUR 83,000. "Although I am not Ukrainian by nationality, I have become Ukrainian in spirit. Putin and Russia must be held accountable for every death in Ukraine," he says. His list of procurements for the armed forces includes:
- 5 SUVs;
- 3 Autel Evo 11 drones;
- several ambulances intended for transportation of injured people.
Despite this, the support of well-known Latvian entrepreneur Vilis Dambiņš is not restricted to meeting the needs of the military alone. He has also financially supported The COMMON Ground Social Initiative Centre (Riga), which deals with refugee affairs. Parallel to this, the HUMANOSH – Sława and Izek Wołosiański Foundation, which aims to help children with mothers who fled the war to Poland, bought an ambulance for EUR 30,000 courtesy of a donation from the businessman.
According to Vilis Dambiņš, he will continue supporting Ukraine until it celebrates its victory over the invader. Dambiņš says that over 600 employees of the regional energy companies, which he is a shareholder in, have been called up to defend the country. Despite the damage caused by the large-scale shootings, specialists are busy working on the ground and repairing damage to make sure that there is light in every home, school and hospital in Ukraine.
Uldis Biķis from Latvijas Finiers
Uldis Biķis is Chairman of the Board of a Latvijas Finiers, a Latvian company that manufactures plywood and synthetic resin products and which has joined forces with RSEZ SIA VEREMS to help Ukraine. They have announced that they will donate EUR 5 of every cubic meter of Latvian birch veneer bought. The company produce valuable products from this, which will then be sold for export.
Thus, it is not only the Ukrainian side that will receive ongoing long-term support. People in Latvia will have guaranteed jobs. Export products with high added value will boost tax revenues in the budget. As a result, Latvia will continue to support Ukraine at a national level.
Normunds Bergs and AS SAF Tehnika
This company manufactures high-tech products, in particular for radio relay equipment, microwave equipment applications, spectrum analyser. Right from the outset of the war, the Chairman of the Board sent letters to SAF Tehnika's employees, condemning Russia's aggression. Parallel to this, the company organized several initiatives:
- It provided moral and financial support for the evacuation of employees' family members from Ukraine.
- Refugees were given jobs.
- EUR 100,000 was donated via the Entrepreneurs for Peace platform.
- The company immediately terminated its contracts with Russian businesses, thus forfeiting the funds invested in the projects. However, it is determined to fight for Ukraine and overcome all obstacles.
There are a lot of people like Vilis Dambiņš and other entrepreneurs mentioned here. The entire country was united, even cutting back on meeting its own needs to some extent. Mobile communications operators in Latvia have cancelled fees for roaming and calls to Ukraine. As early as February 28, 2022, 654 companies had already responded to Russia's aggression:
8,000 beds have been allocated for refugees in 312 hotels;
258 businesses opened up 1,300 vacancies for war refugees;
84 businesses provided accommodation, communications, transport, food and non-food items, including hygiene items, clothing and fuel.
Numerous entrepreneurs have donated funds via the Latvian platform Ziedot.lv and the Entrepreneurs for Peace initiative. "Entrepreneurs for Peace" have already donated EUR 500,000, and they are not about to stop there. Their next target is to collect EUR 5 million. Entrepreneurs for Peace have brought together over 100 businesses and individual entrepreneurs, each of whom has made a significant donation.
The University of Economics and Culture (UEC) also provided assistance to students in the form of state-funded training. In addition to this financial support, TestDevLab organised an educational initiative for Ukrainian children, offering computers for this purpose.
This awareness that Ukraine is not only fighting for its own freedom, but for Latvia's too is what motivates entrepreneurs to consolidate their humanitarian aid efforts in various areas. There is no end to military, financial and humanitarian aid. The Ukrainian people are grateful to the Latvian people and will always remember what Gauja koks, Dobeles dzirnavnieks, VS Energy, investor Vilis Dambiņš and many others have done to help them.
