World Business Chicago will suspend its relationship with Moscow, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced March 1, in light of events escalating surrounding the Russia-Ukraine crisis, NBC Chicago noted.
In a statement Windy City Times received, Lightfoot said, "In light of recent events and upon reflection over these last few days, I believe that Chicago needs to go further in its definitive actions against Russia. That is why yesterday, I directed World Business Chicago to suspend Chicago's sister-city relationship with Moscow.
"While this is not a decision I enter into lightly, we must send an unambiguous message: we strongly condemn all actions by the Putin regime. This suspension will be upheld until the end of hostilities against Ukraine and the Putin regime is held accountable for its crimes. We must continue to support freedom-loving people everywhere and ordinary Russians in their desire to be free."
On Feb. 28, 33 Chicago City Council members signed onto a proposed order suspending Moscow's Sister City status, according to The Chicago Tribune. Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv is among Chicago's 27 remaining sister cities, whose roster also includes Bogota, Colombia; Accra, Ghana; Osaka, Japan; and Warsaw, Poland.
Also, as of March 1, all 31 member countries of the International Energy Agency have agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves "to send a strong message to oil markets" that there will be "no shortfall in supplies" as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
