Stellantis to provide more than $1M in aid to Ukrainian refugees

The maker of Jeep SUVs and Ram pickup trucks will provide $1.1 million (1 million euro) in aid to help Ukrainian refugees and civilians displaced after Russia invaded the eastern European nation last week.

Stellantis NV's head of Ukraine will work with a local non-governmental organization in using the fund, which CEO Carlos Tavares announced on Tuesday ahead of presenting the automaker's long-term strategy. The United Nations has said more than 870,000 people have fled Ukraine and that the number soon could hit 1 million.

More:Events in the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday, March 2, 2022

"Stellantis condemns violence and aggression and, in this time of unprecedented pain, our priority is the health and safety of our Ukrainian employees and families," Tavares said in a statement. "An aggression that shook a world order, already unsettled by uncertainty, has been launched. The Stellantis community, made of 170 nationalities, looks with dismay as civilians flee the country. Even if the scale of casualties is not yet apparent, the human toll will be unbearable."

Stellantis has a task force to monitor the situation and the company's 71 employees in Ukraine. All are now safe, the automaker said, after Tavares said the company was unable to reach three on Tuesday.

The commitments come after the Ford Fund on Tuesday said was making a $100,000 donation to the Global Giving Ukraine Relief Fund for humanitarian aid to Ukrainian citizens. Ford Motor Co. also has suspended its joint-venture operations in Russia, joining BMW and truck makers Volvo AB and Daimler Trucks in halting production there. General Motors Co., BMW, Volvo Cars and Jaguar Land Rover also have stopped deliveries to Russia.

"In an expression of solidarity, we're flying the Ukrainian flag in front of world headquarters," Ford CEO Jim Farley said during a news conference on Tuesday. "Our heart goes out to all the Ukrainian citizens, including those who work at Ford and around the world. You're all in our thoughts."

The attack on Ukraine also has created disruptions on supply chains. Volkswagen AG was idling production lines this week at the world's largest car plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, before a broader shutdown next week. BMW is expecting temporary shutdowns because of parts shortages, as well.

Ford's chief financial officer, John Lawler, on a call with analysts on Tuesday, said the automaker has seen increasing costs for raw materials resulting from the conflict.

"Where we’re seeing the exposure across the industry is in the commodities that are coming out of both Russia and Ukraine, and what the impact will be in commodity prices," he said. "And we’re seeing commodity prices rise, currently, compared to what we had been planning in our base for this."

bnoble@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @BreanaCNoble

Staff Writer Jordyn Grzelewski contributed.