When the war began, Russia cut off fuel supplies to Ukraine and attacked oil storage and stations. At that point, Ukraine had less than two weeks' worth of fuel.
Here's a story of a company that adapted, survived, and ensured Ukraine's essential fuel supply 1/
OKKO, now a market leader, has flourished under the new CEO Vasyl Danylyak, a personal friend of mine, guiding it through wartime transformation.
Today, at the Kyiv School of Economics we're publicly discussing for the first time the case we have written about OKKO 2/
But the story of the company is that of people
When the missiles struck on day one, OKKO's managers didn't abandon their jobs, but acted. With the Russians everywhere, they checked on their teams and prepared evacuation plans 3/
The case highlights manager Olena, who asked her colleagues, "Can I count on you?" and everyone answered yes
I still get emotional recalling those days. That type of determination was everywhere; people had families to save but wouldn't abandon their jobs 4/
But some people did flee. At Andriy's station near Kyiv, only 3 people stayed. Andriy, however, took charge of 2 sites, running between two sites through war-torn streets to oversee operations. "As we focused on our duties, customers calmed," he recalls 5/
Iryna, near the shelled Chernihiv, took charge of 4 stations, fueling the military defending the city. "We are not afraid!" she declared. Though without an official title, she led
Chernhiv later was encircled by the Russians but never fallen 6/
By keeping stations open, OKKO teams kept Ukraine moving. “That our reality now,” Oleksandra thought
Despite the risks, they served customers with positivity, still remembering - I kid you not - to say OKKO's values: "Service with a smile." 7/
Across OKKO, exceptional teams banded together, communicating constantly to adapt. Lawyers & marketers ran stations. Drivers risked their lives delivering fuel. Some died.
Everyone became everyday heroes. Later OKKO created a campaign “Our Heroes” to tell their stories 8/
I could discuss the company's strategy and changes in supply chain management, including finding new suppliers worldwide and bargaining over shipping slots to keep the country running. 9/
I witnessed oil depots attacked and oil tankers driving at night through hidden routes to evade Russian surveillance.
But I think the story is people! Thank you for being human! 10X
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Zelenskyy: Putin doesn't live like ordinary people. He cannot imagine life without power. He consults Tsar Peter and Empress Catherine. He is a slave to war.
He won't let Ukraine or other European nations go. If he lives another 10 years, war can return. 1/
Zelenskyy: Putin hopes to repeat Munich 1938. It is an illusion to believe this war can be ended by dividing Ukraine, just as sacrificing Czechoslovakia didn't save Europe.
The price of a deal must not be another moment when the civilized world shifts responsibility. 2/
Zelenskyy: Ukrainians are holding the European front. Behind us stand independent Poland and the free Baltic States. There can be a sovereign Moldova and a Romania without dictatorship.
Even one Victor is growing his belly, not his army, to stop Russian tanks in Budapest. 3/
Sweden plans $5 billion aid to Ukraine in 2026. Over $12 billion pledged since 2022.
FM Maria Malmer Stenergard: "Ukraine is not only fighting for its own freedom, but also for ours. We also see Russia as a threat. This is why it is our obligation to help." — United24. 1/
Stenergard: "Me and my Finnish colleague Elina Valtonen proposed full maritime ban on Shadow Fleet. Stop imports of russian fertilizers and luxury products. It's a disgrace russians can still buy European wines and clothes. We need to hit the war economy." 2/
Sweden moved from supplying stockpiled weapons to production and now supports Ukrainian production.
Stenergard: "Ukraine became so good at production, invention, and development. It's something we could also learn from. This is also an investment in our military." 3/
Chinese FM Wang Yi on Ukraine: Europe should not be on the menu, but at the table.
The war is in Europe — Europeans have every right to be at the negotiating table.
Beijing supports Europe talking to Russia.
1/
Wang Yi: I do not believe that the situation in the Asia-Pacific is becoming increasingly tense.
In fact, Asia is probably the only region that maintains overall peace.
2/
Wang Yi: The Japanese PM said a Taiwan contingency could trigger collective self-defense. This is the first time in 80 years that a Japanese leader has made such remarks.
It violates China’s territorial sovereignty and Japan’s commitments to China.
Rubio: We want Europe to be strong. Our destinies are intertwined. The great wars of the last century proved that Europe’s fate is never irrelevant to America’s own.
The fundamental question is: what exactly are we defending? 1/
Rubio: For us Americans, our home may be in the Western Hemisphere. But we will always be a child of Europe.
Together, we rebuilt a shattered continent in the wake of two devastating world wars. The free West linked arms to defeat Soviet communism. 2/
Rubio: The UN has tremendous potential, yet on the most pressing matters it had no answers and played virtually no role.
It could not solve Gaza. It could not solve Ukraine. It took American leadership to free captives and bring adversaries to the table. 3/
Rubio: We don’t know if the Russians are serious about ending the war in Ukraine. They say they are.
We don’t know under what terms they’re willing to do it, or whether terms acceptable to Ukraine would ever be accepted by Russia. But we’re going to continue to test it. 1/
Rubio on Ukraine peace talks: Here’s the good news. The issues that must be confronted to end this war have been narrowed.
The bad news is they’ve been narrowed to the hardest questions to answer. And work remains to be done on that front. 2/
Rubio: It would be geopolitical malpractice not to engage China. Our national interests will often clash.
We expect China to act in its own interest, as we do in ours. The purpose of diplomacy is to manage those conflicts and strive to resolve them peacefully. 3X