The scene in Ukraine right now is absolutely heartbreaking.
And as Russia continues to invade Ukraine, taking countless lives already, there have also been some incredibly heroic acts in the past few days, like the Ukrainian border guards defending Snake Island and telling a Russian warship:
“Russian warship, go fuck yourself.”
Ultimately, all 13 soldiers were killed, but they died heroes.
Then, you have the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, staying to fight for his country… even passing on an offer from the United States to be evacuated and moved to a safer location, knowing that he is target #1 of Russia at the moment.
He even told US officials:
He’s a textbook example of a true leader (and a total badass).
And now, owners of bars and liquor stores across America and Canada are finding a creative way to show support for the innocent people of Ukraine and stand in protest of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
They’re pouring out and getting rid of every ounce of the famous Russian export they own:
The Jacob Liquor Exchange in Wichita, Kansas is just one example of this.
They’ve pulled more than 100 bottles of Russian vodka from their shelves, pouring out some of it and got rid of the rest.
Jamie Stratton, the wine director at the store, says it’s their way of showing support for Ukraine:
“I think the whole world knows by now that Russia’s at war with Ukraine for no apparent reason. I guess this is our sanction. We don’t support it. There’s no reason to support it.
There’s no reason for them to invade the Ukrainians, and this may be small, but every small thing makes a difference.”
He says that their store is there to accommodate customers and their needs, but that they will not show any support for Russia whatsoever:
“If a customer requests these items, obviously we’re here to sell. That’s what we do.
But I’m not going to put it on the shelves. There’s no reason for it to be here. We’re not supporting them.”
Instead of buying Russian vodka, he suggests a Ukrainian alternative:
“This is Khor vodka from the Ukraine. If you want to buy some vodka, don’t buy Russian. Buy Ukrainian.”
There are countless other videos across social media of other bar owners and liquor store owners doing the same, and the trend seems to be picking up steam.
In Ontario, Canada, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy directed the provincial Liquor Control Board to remove all Russian vodka and other alcoholic products from all stores.
Of course, you could get into the politics of how much of a substantial impact this will really have on the Russian economy, being that President Biden has already put sanctions on the country (that hasn’t seemed to deter them at all), and that we should look into how much we spend in buying Russian oil every day, but the moral support is nice to see.
Although, they are pouring out alcohol they’ve already purchased, but I assume that they will not purchase any more going forward for the time being, either.
That being said, Khor looks pretty good to me…
