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Polis says Colorado will impose sanctions against Russia

Polis said he is writing to the State Department and the Ukrainian ambassador to tell them Colorado is ready to welcome refugees and provide support.

DENVER — Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) on Thursday said Colorado will impose its own sanctions against Russia, and said the state is prepared to welcome Ukrainian refugees. 

Polis said he is writing to the State Department and the Ukrainian ambassador to tell them Colorado is ready to welcome refugees and provide support.

"We are also looking across state government to ensure that we are going after Russian aggression and doing everything we can to show that we do not support the Russian government and their recent actions," Polis said in a video statement.

Polis announced several actions he is taking in response to the invasion, including:

  • Directing the Office of Information Technology and the Department of Personnel & Administration to review state contracts to ensure none of them are with Russian state-owned companies, either directly or as subcontractors; work to terminate any contracts that include Russian state-owned companies as contractors or subcontractors; and ensure future procurement efforts analyze any possible connections with Russian state-owned companies.
  • Asking PERA and the treasurer's office to divest from Russian-owned assets. 
  • Urging higher education institutions to review and reconsider any grants or projects they have with Russia, and to divest endowments from Russian-owned assets.
  • Directing the Office of Information Technology to focus on protecting the state’s critical infrastructure from Russian cyberattacks or misinformation efforts.
  • Directing the Office of New Americans to enhance efforts to support Ukrainian-born Coloradans and those who are fleeing this conflict.

Colorado Treasurer Dave Young said Thursday that the office has reviewed its investment portfolio "and can confirm that the Colorado Treasury Department does not hold Russian-owned assets.”

Polis' office said Colorado is home to about 11,000 Ukrainians. 

RELATED: Colorado public pension fund to take out $7.2 million from Russian bank

RELATED: What Colorado leaders are saying after Russia's invasion of Ukraine

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