Airbnb is suspending operations in Russia and Belarus, CEO Brian Chesky announces

Airbnb is suspending operations in Russia and Belarus, CEO Brian Chesky announces

Airbnb is suspending operations in Russia and Belarus. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, whose verified Twitter account currently displays an icon of the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag, made the announcement on Twitter late on Thursday evening. Chesky previously announced that Airbnb would "Airbnb and Airbnb.org are working with our Hosts to house up to 100,000 refugees fleeing from Ukraine, for free," Chesky on Monday. Airbnb joins a host of other since the country invaded Ukraine on February 24. Expedia on Wednesday confirmed to Insider that it has ceased the sale of travel into and out of Russia. Ikea on March 3 that it is closing all 17 stores in Russia and suspending production in the country. Ukraine since Russia began its unprovoked invasion of the country, per the top refugee official of the United Nations. This is not the first time Airbnb has pledged to house people displaced by war and violence. In August, Airbnb it would temporarily house up to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide. Airbnb did not immediately reply to Insider's request for comment.