Arizona Board of Regents votes for ASU, UA, NAU to exit Russian investments

PHOENIX — The Arizona Board of Regents on Monday voted for the state’s three public universities to pull out of any Russian investments as quickly as possible in response to the country’s continued invasion of Ukraine.

ABOR also instructed Arizona State University, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University to exclude Russian assets from the board’s retirement plan, according to a press release.

“The Arizona Board of Regents condemns in the strongest possible terms Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine and apparent targeting of civilian populations, with one million refugees already in its wake,” ABOR Chair Lyndel Manson said in the release.

“With today’s action, the board repudiates Putin’s aggression and ensures Arizona’s public university enterprise divests of any Russian assets.”

The university presidents said they have already halted any programming with Russia.

They have also said university foundations are eliminating and redirecting investments in Russian assets.

Well into the second week of the invasion, Russian President Putin’s forces continued to pummel cities with rockets, and fierce fighting raged in places.

The U.N. human rights office reported 406 confirmed civilian deaths but said the real number is much higher.

The invasion has also sent 1.7 million people fleeing Ukraine.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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