Liverpool kit suppliers Nike have taken the step to suspend online sales of its merchandise in Russia.
Following the military invasion of Ukraine by Russia under the orders of president Vladimir Putin, Russia has faced economic sanctions by the US, European Union and United Kingdom in recent days, placing enormous strain on the Russian economy in a bid to make Putin withdraw from Ukraine.
With getting goods into Russia far more challenging due to disruptions to the supply chain, US sporting giant Nike has taken the decision to remove the option for Russian customers to purchase merchandise online and through their app.
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An update on Nike's website on Tuesday showed that the firm would not be able to process online orders for Russian customers due to the fact that they could not guarantee delivery due to the ongoing crisis.
Liverpool's incentivised deal with Nike sees the US firm pay £30m per year as a guaranteed sum to the Reds while the club make 20 per cent on the sales of Liverpool/Nike merchandise sold in retail units and online across the globe.
The Nike move is the latest in a string of decisions by US firms to re-evaluate their current relationship with Russia, with Disney, Warner Bros, and Sony Pictures Entertainment saying they would pause theatrical releases of upcoming films in the country.
Business and individuals have been sanctioned by the US and EU, including Everton-linked Alisher Usmanov, with Everton suspending their sponsorship deals with Usmanov's USM, MegaFon and Yota companies, removing all branding related to the three companies after the EU took measures against him.
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