Google Announces $15 Million Donation For Ukraine Amid Russian Invasion

In the wake of the escalating tension between Russia and Ukraine, tech behemoth Google has announced $15 million in donations as part of its relief efforts for Ukraine.

Google Announces $15 Million Donation For Ukraine Amid Russian Invasion/Getty

New Delhi: In the wake of the escalating tension between Russia and Ukraine, tech behemoth Google has announced $15 million in donations as part of its relief efforts for Ukraine. Google's contribution includes $5 million from employee matching campaigns and $5 million in direct grants while the remaining $5 million is raised from advertising credits. The tech giant has described the Russian invasion of Ukraine as both a tragedy and a humanitarian disaster in the making.

"Together, Google.org and Google employees are contributing $15 million in donations and in-kind support to aid relief efforts in Ukraine, including $5 million so far from our employee matching campaign and $5 million in direct grants. We’re also contributing $5 million in advertising credits to help trusted humanitarian and intergovernmental organizations connect people to important sources of aid and resettlement information," Kent Walker, President, Global Affairs at Google, said in a statement.

Following the footsteps of tech companies like Meta and Apple, Google has also dropped Russian state media apps RT News and Sputnik from its news services. Google-owned YouTube has also blocked channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe. This builds on Google's indefinite pause of monetisation of Russian state-funded media across our platforms, meaning media outlets such as RT are not allowed to monetise their content or advertise on Google's platforms.

Google Is Updating Search and Google Maps In Ukraine

"We've launched an SOS alert on Search across Ukraine. When people search for refugee and evacuation information, they will see an alert pointing them to United Nations resources for refugees and asylum seekers. We’re working with expert organizations to source helpful humanitarian information as the situation unfolds. And after consulting with multiple sources on the ground, including local authorities, we’ve temporarily disabled some live Google Maps features in Ukraine, including the traffic layer and information about how busy places are, to help protect the safety of local communities and their citizens," noted Walker.

Google Maps has also added information on refugee and migrant centers in Ukraine's neighbouring countries.