LAKELAND, Fla. — Two types of fish sourced from Russian waters were pulled from Publix's shelves amid the country's ongoing attacks on Ukraine.
Atlantic cod and haddock have not been available for purchase since the Florida-based grocer removed Russian vodka earlier this month, spokesperson Maria Brous said in an email. So, too, has any other Russian-made product, Brous confirmed.
Publix on March 2 said it removed Russian-made vodka brands from its shelves in a move that shows solidarity with Ukraine. They included Beluga, Ruskova, Russian Standard and Zyr.
Stolichnaya (Stoli), Romanov and Smirnoff are not Russian vodkas and will remain available at the grocer's liquor stores.
President Joe Biden on Friday announced the U.S. will ban imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds, intensifying the economic pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. and its allies also will revoke "the most favored nation" status for Russia, which allows countries to impose higher tariffs on some Russian imports, The Associated Press reports.
American companies have pulled out of Russia across all major industries as the extent of the crisis worsens. This week, McDonald's — which established a presence at the turn of the Cold War roughly 30 years ago — said it was temporarily closing its nearly 850 locations, according to The New York Times.
Russia on Friday attacked airfields in western Ukraine and the city of Dnipro, in the east, which is a major industrial hub home to about 1 million people, the AP said. The miles-long Russian convoy of tanks and equipment that had appeared to have stalled for days near the country's capital of Kyiv now appears to have spread out.
But it's not exactly known whether Russian troops are readying an immediate attack or are trying to move to more protected positions.
