Ukraine will scrap its “sponsors of war” blacklist, the centrepiece of its campaign to pressure companies doing business in Russia, on Friday, after a backlash from countries from to Austria to China, two people familiar with the matter said.
The people said Ukraine would scrap not only the list, but a related website that gives detailed information about individuals under Western sanctions, companies and the origin of Russian weapons parts. Getting rid of the list means companies that are not under Western sanctions may face little public pressure to leave Russia.
Beijing, a major consumer of Ukrainian grain, demanded in February that Kyiv remove 14 Chinese companies from the list to “eliminate negative impacts.” A third person said that there was frustration with Ukraine for singling out companies from countries that supported Kyiv.