The British government is one of Ukraine’s closest allies in the fight against Russia. But British consumer goods giant Unilever is a thorn in the side of the leadership in Kiev. Due to its continued activities in Russia, the company has been included in the list of “international war sponsors”.
The reason for the decision of the National Anti-Corruption Agency is the presence of the company in the Russian Federation and the “high tax payments” to the Russian state. In doing so, Unilever supports the ‘economy of the aggressor’ and the ‘continuation of the Russian war against Ukraine’, according to the company.
Unilever said it stood by a February statement condemning the war in Ukraine as a “cruel” and “senseless” act by the Russian state. Unilever has stopped importing and exporting, but supplies “Russian-made food and toiletries (…) to the people of the country,” it said.
Demonstration in front of Unilever’s headquarters
Well-known Unilever brands include cosmetics from Dove, Magnum ice cream and cleaning products from Cif. In London, Ukrainian and British activists demonstrated in front of Unilever’s headquarters on Monday. A poster posted there featured an advertisement for Dove, which featured wounded Ukrainian soldiers instead of models.
Raiffeisenbank International is also on the list
The list of “war sponsors” was drawn up about a year ago and now includes 31 companies and 123 individuals. China leads the way in both categories. Incidentally, the Austrian Raiffeisenbank International is also on this list.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
