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Setting the Record Straight About Lukoil Gas Stations

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ, Sal Risalvato, Executive Director of the New Jersey Gasoline, C-Store, Automotive Association, a nonprofit trade association representing motor fuel retailers and associated small businesses, released the following comments:

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“First off, I want to be absolutely clear that I strongly support dramatic sanctions against Russia in retaliation for its unjust war of aggression against Ukraine, and I am glad to see that the Governor and Legislature are working to make sure New Jersey is the leading state in US to cut off any possible financial support for the Russian government.”

“I need to make clear though that most if not all of the Lukoil stations found in this state are not being managed or operated by the Russian Lukoil corporation, but by individual franchisees, who have signed multi-year contracts to operate these locations.” Risalvato continued “These small businesses invest significant amounts of money, time, and sweat to keep these businesses open and their families fed. Running a small business, especially a retail business, is one of the greatest challenges there is in this country.”

“I have seen reports of other businesses like liquor stores choosing to stop stocking Russian manufactured liquors, and I applaud them for their initiative.” Risalvato added “But these Lukoil franchisees do not have that option. Many of these franchisees never even chose to be associated with Lukoil, they were Getty or Mobil locations purchased in bulk by Lukoil years ago. Even the actual gas that they buy wholesale comes from US suppliers, Lukoil just slaps their brand name on it.”

“Small businesses—and particularly gas stations—have long been a difficult but rewarding pathway to achieving the American Dream for immigrants from across the world. They have also been a business passed across multiple generations of American citizens. These are the people who would be victimized if the government were to decide to shut these businesses down” Risalvato pointed out. “Their employees, also proud New Jersey residents, would also be out of work. With about 120 stations in the state I would estimate their closure would lead to between 600 and 1,200 people instantly added to the unemployment rolls.”

“If you do not want to take my word on this, I recommend the recent CNN article ‘Boycotting Lukoil would sting US gas station owners more than Russia’s oil company’ as well as this well researched article by the objective fact-checker Snopes which concludes ‘a successful boycott could require financial devastation — if not ruination — among many dozens of local entrepreneurs in the United States, as well as sudden unemployment for their hundreds of workers, in order to achieve what would be only a very small financial impact on the Russian parent company, or its bosses in Moscow.’”

10 thoughts on “Setting the Record Straight About Lukoil Gas Stations

  1. This is the libs ‘cancel culture’ at work. Impose your beliefs on others and hurt your neighbor. At least you feel like you did something.

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  2. Just a few broken eggs in the utopian omelet……………………………

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  3. So all these cancel culture people, are you also blacklisting Citgo gas stations? After all, these are Venezuelan. Venezuela, along with Cuba, is one of the few countries cheering on the current Russian invasion. Or does Venezuela (and Cuba) cut a little too close to your core leftist beliefs?

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  4. Boycotting Lukoil is just more self righteous virtue signaling. Unfortunately appealing to common sense no longer works, thanks to a population programmed by media propaganda.

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  5. 1. Russia still profits from sale of Lukoil branded gas. For that reason I have never patronized them. ITs true that franchisee also get hurt. People in the Ukraine are getting hurt too.

    2. Citgo is a different story. US operations no longer profit the Maduro regime in Venezuela.

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    1. Never used one they are always over priced

  6. What a total and complete idiocy is to boycott Russian products. I am no fan of Russian people or anything Russian but do you really think this is hurting Putin? You’re killing a local business here and also someone who employees hundreds or thousands of people in Russia. They’re suffering enough with Putin, why make it more miserable for them? One has to be either stup.id or e.vil to suggest such things.

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  7. It’s interesting that some people, under some circumstances, feel bad for those injured by boycotts. It’s all well and good to encourage, if you can, loyalty to someone who has become involved. But when someone cites “Snopes” as a reliable source should suggest pause. It’s a Left-wing fraudulent source. Recommending them likely does more harm than good for any cause. (-:

    1. they also quoted CNN which not a real news site

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  8. Ok, so let’s not boycott the gas stations, but let’s make NJ a pump your own gas state, so owners can lay off workers too!
    You’ve been lining pockets of NJ politicians for years trying to do this.
    Employees losing jobs (temporarily) to a boycott vs losing jobs totally while we drivers are doing their old jobs..hmm 🙄

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