Ukraine calls AliExpress owner an international war sponsor

Ukraine has added the Chinese group of companies Alibaba Group Holding Limited to the list of international sponsors of the war. The National Agency on Corruption Prevention made the decision.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited continues to work in Russia, according to the NACP. In particular, it provides its platforms for selling copper goods exported from the occupied territories of Ukraine, as Reuters found out in April.

“It is worth noting that Alibaba also resorts to censoring Ukrainian content on its platforms related to the Russian war. In March 2022, Alibaba blocked the profile of a Ukrainian streamer who had more than 268,000 followers on AliExpress for a post about war. At the same time, pro-Russian posts on the platform are not deleted,” the agency explained.

Between October 8 last year, and March 24, 2023, the company purchased at least 3,220 tons of copper alloy for a total of USD 7.4 million from the Russian-controlled Debaltseve Metallurgical Engineering Plant. According to the customs, shipments of copper alloy from the plant were carried out through the port of Novorossiysk, the agency wrote.

All the given facts may indicate that the company supports Russian aggression financially, by paying taxes, and ideologically, concluded the NACP.