The Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention (Національне агентство з питань запобігання корупції, NACP) had added Emirates president Tim Clark to its International War Sponsors (ISW) list.
According to the NACP, Clark was added to the list due to his affiliation with Dubai Port Word (DP World). The United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based company specializes in logistics and operation of port terminals, maritime services, and free trade zones.
DP World lists Clark as an “Independent Non-Executive Director”.
The NACP included the company, along with its 10 executives, on the ISW list after the port operator signed an agreement with Rosatom, the Russian state company focused on nuclear and atomic energy, on June 15, 2023.
At the time, the Russian company announced that, alongside DP World, it would “develop the Eurasian logistics and container shipping along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), a potential new trade route connecting Asia and Europe, which would add much-needed resilience to the global trade landscape”.
The NACP announced its decision on July 17, 2023, arguing that not only has DP World failed to cease doing business with Russia, but strengthened its “cooperation with the aggressor”.
“After the signing of the agreement with Rosatom, the head of the government of the Russian Federation Mykhailo Mishustin said that the development of the Northern Sea Route is a strategic project that will bring about 20 trillion rubles (224 billion USD) to the Russian budget,” the NACP continued, adding that this directly confirms the deal “benefits the terrorist state from cooperating with DP World”.
Clark did not attend the signing ceremony in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Group chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem represented DP World instead.
According to DP World, Clark was appointed to his role on June 1, 2022.
Per NACP, adding entities and individuals is “reputational only”. As such, it has no legal repercussions.
In April 2022, Clark told the BBC that Emirates would continue flying to Russia unless the UAE government tells the airline otherwise, adding that it was “not his call”.
Currently, Emirates flies to two Russian airports, Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) and St. Petersburg Pulkovo International Airport (LED).
