Interior Alaska News

State of Alaska Office of the Governor issued the following announcement on March 4.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy issued this list of actions and requests for actions to pressure Vladimir Putin to end his war.

“As a response to President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, we all need to do our part to support countries and people who believe in freedom,” said Governor Dunleavy. “This attack is unprecedented and needs to be addressed. Alaska can do its part through the following:

I have directed our State agencies to identify Russian products or contracts for services with Russian companies for the purpose of divesting from these relationships, and I call upon our State-owned corporations to do the same.

I have directed State agencies to identify and divest, if and when appropriate, from Russian assets, and I call upon our State-owned corporations, the Permanent Fund Board of Trustees to do the same.

I have called on President Joe Biden and his federal agencies to create an expedited process to permit energy projects of all kinds — oil, gas, nuclear, and renewables — along with infrastructure such as transmission lines and transportation.

I called on President Biden, after his State of the Union address, to declare a national energy emergency for ALL forms of energy.

I have called on the federal government to sanction purchases of Russian crude oil.

Russia has banned imports of American seafood since 2014, and I am calling on the federal government to reciprocate by sanctioning purchases of Russian seafood.

I call upon all Alaska businesses to divest from Russian companies.

I call upon businesses to stop selling Russian products.

I’m calling on all Alaskans to not purchase Russian products or services.

I’m asking our Alaska sister cities to cut ties with any Russian sister cities.

I call upon our Universities to stop any cultural exchange programs with Russia, and to identify and cut any contracts with Russian companies.

I will work with the appropriate agencies to identify Alaska as a place of refuge for Ukrainians who pass the appropriate background checks.

The United States and our allies must become independent of Russian energy, and we must accelerate that process immediately.

These decisions are not meant to hurt our Alaskan friends of Russian background or to put blame for President Putin’s actions on the people he is violently silencing.

I will work with the Legislature on any additional measures to put pressure on the Putin regime to end this war against Ukraine.”

View a video clip: Governor Dunleavy called for President Biden to declare a national energy emergency after the State of the Union address and described the ways Alaska can contribute to our energy independence.

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Original source can be found here.