Wintershall Dea cancelled its annual press conference, giving the following statement:
“The Russian President has ordered a military operation against Ukraine. We view this military escalation of the conflict with great concern and dismay. People are dying. We are shocked by what is happening!
“Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on behalf of the Federal Government, strongly condemned the action today as a blatant breach of international law and an attack on the freedom and self-determination of a sovereign state.
“The latest military escalation also shakes the economic cooperation between Russia and Europe that has been built up over decades and will have far-reaching consequences. To what extent cannot yet be foreseen.
“Wintershall Dea has been working in Russia for more than 30 years. Many of our colleagues work for our company and our joint ventures with partners from Russia on a daily basis. Many of our colleagues come from Russia or Ukraine. For them in particular, but also for all of us, this escalation on the orders of the Russian government is a hard blow.”