Ukraine dubs Unilever an ‘international sponsor of war’ amid reports it paid Russia $331 million in taxes last year
Ukrainian leaders lashed out at Unilever this week as a new Russian law compelled it to contribute to ongoing war efforts. The Ukraine Solidarity Project led protests against the company on Monday, placing it on a 'sponsors of war' list alongside Procter & Gamble and the French supermarket group Leroy Merlin. The developments came after it was revealed that Unilever had paid Moscow $331 million in taxes last year.
As the war began in Ukraine some 17 months ago, several companies had closed down their operations within Russia. Unilever however had opted to downsize and currently sells “essential" products from tea to ice-cream. As the protests began this week, many have also called on newly appointed CEO Hein Schumacher to withdraw from Russia.
The company has managed to double its profits amid the war - operating through its local Russian business Unilever Rus. According to according to the Dutch investigative group Follow the Money, Unilever had doubled profits to 9.2 billion roubles last year and also increased advertising spend by 10% to 21.7 billion roubles. According to a report by The Guardian, the new Russian law could also lead to the conscription of Unilever’s 3,000-strong workforce in the country across its four manufacturing sites and head office.
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