Hell awaits them. Nestle, Leroy Merlin, Auchan, Metro and other accomplices to Putin's crimes

Greed, indifference and immorality are the true "values" of well-known international corporations. Those who keep working or partially working in Russia. There are also those who have exited Russia, but not completely.

The full list of companies that have suspended, reduced or resumed operations in Russia can be found here.

They still think that everything will be fine, the war in Ukraine will be finished, and the big Russian market will return to them. It is already poorer, but still big. 

They are "regrouping", like the Russian troops, and do not believe they will actually have to leave.

They hide behind press releases expressing great concern and speaking of humanitarian aid to Ukrainians, but  continue through taxes to finance Putin's army, which is destroying Ukrainian cities and killing Ukrainians.

Paying even a penny into the budget of the Russian Federation makes them sponsors and accomplices of these crimes. However, this is not obvious to them. Not to everyone.

Recently, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said in an interview with Novoya Vremya (NV) [the New Times] that on the first day of the war, Ukraine's ambassador "to a very influential European country" asked for help from the secretary of state of one of that country’s ministries. And the secretary answered: "My dear, let's be honest: why should we help you, if in a maximum of 48 hours everything will be over and a new reality will come."

A new reality has arrived, and most European countries are now rooting for Ukraine more than ever. Some of them do it less, some more.

However, some international corporations do not. They have a different strategy. Wait it out. They will fight them off and hope to get lucky.

"We are shocked by the situation in Ukraine, and we are hoping for a quick diplomatic solution to this tragedy."

This is the main message of one of the international companies that does not plan to stop production in Russia. Others are also "concerned".

[They say] it is bad and wrong to leave people without work in Russia. It's not human. It is irresponsible. And it is not as irresponsible to carry out operational activities and pay taxes to Putin's state budget, allowing him to kill more Ukrainians. This is a compromise. This is not immoral.

Profiting from the blood of Ukrainians, which international companies are financing the Russian army.

It is not Germans or French who are dying, but Ukrainians. It would be better if they gave up and didn’t impede doing business in a country that has become an "evil empire" due only to Putin.

In a concentration camp, it is difficult to fight the guards every day, they say, sitting in cosy homes and the Moscow offices of Western corporations without knowing what it means to be in bomb shelters amid howling sirens. It's all Putin, on his own. This is politics, let's not get involved.

Some of the workers support Putin, some have deliberately ignored political life and lived their lives according to the theory of small things: we will fix something here, we will modernise there. Very convenient. But who needs "bike paths" in a "concentration camp"?

Yet Nestle will not leave. Leroy Merlin will support them. Auchan will take care of everything. Metro will not leave them without work.

This is an impossible situation. This is not in line with the values of international corporations that care about social responsibility and are very concerned about their place in the ESG rankings.

However, the owners and chief executives of all these companies on the "blacklist" are only interested in money. It’s not a problem for them if they have the blood of some Ukrainians on their hands. Everything else in official statements is good "packaging" for investors.

Take the history of the Finnish tyre company Nokian Tyres. When the war broke out, it was made clear that they were planning to leave Russia. The company has a large tyre plant, one of the largest in Russia, with 1,500 employees.

However, the Finns quickly changed their minds. Investors were told that business in Russia would continue. What’s more, according to the former minister and Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Dubilet, citing non-public sources, Nokian Tyres decided to outstrip its competitors.

Allegedly, given that Bridgestone, Continental and Michelin have ceased operations in Russia, Nokian Tyres is expecting a significant increase in demand. The company concluded that the label "Designed in Finland, Made in Russia" will be sold as normal.

"We will continue to assess the situation and are ready to respond promptly if necessary", the management of the Finnish manufacturer promises in official statements.

Or, for example, everyone knows Nestlé, which does not dare to boycott Russia. The Swiss corporation is one of the largest food companies, which continues to operate in Russia despite the war. In 2020, it paid $502 million into the aggressor's budget.

"We must boldly and without hesitation defend freedom and democracy. We will have to pay a price for that. And Switzerland is ready to pay it," Swiss President Ignacio Cassis said recently.

But Nestle doesn't think so. The company seems to have shut down its business in Russia, but this does not apply to basic necessities such as baby food or animal feed.

Hiding behind children and animals, the Swiss corporation does not hesitate to finance the murder of Ukrainian children. It diplomatically ignores the issue of war in its statements, not daring to call the invasion Russian.

At this time, the company's CEO, Mark Schneider, is encouraging the Ukrainian office to be friends with Russia. So it is not surprising that this company has become one of the prime targets of the hacker association Anonymous.

French retailers Leroy Merlin and Auchan are another story of cynicism and greed. A Russian rocket has already smashed one of the Leroy Merlin hypermarkets in Kyiv and killed one of its Ukrainian employees, but the French company will not budge.

The day before the attack, the parent company of the network, which continues to operate in Russia, disconnected Ukrainian employees from corporate communications, probably due to anti-Russian sentiments.

Metro's German office is even more deeply immersed in Putin's bloody campaign. The Ukrainian unit was threatened with disconnection from the supply of goods due to its pressure on the corporation to leave Russia.

Dozens of other well-known international companies continue to ignore calls to leave the Russian market. Management is not interested in data on Ukrainians who have been killed or schools and hospitals that have been destroyed. They are worried only about the figures in the financial statements.

Money is the real motive of all these companies: Nestlé, Danone, Mars, Metro, Leroy Merlin and Philippe Morris.

However, due to the lack of a clear position, they will soon begin to lose money. Their customers around the world will stop buying their goods, and knowledge that they support the bloody regime will hurt their reputation.

Or soon the names of these famous brands and of their leaders will be remembered in the context of the most recent, and not the most successful, period of Ferdinand Porsche's life.

In the end, society will put the squeeze on all major companies operating in Russia and financing Putin's terrorists. It's just a matter of time

This campaign can be pursued by both Ukrainians and by concerned citizens of other countries who live in the cities where the main offices of the companies are located.

For Ukrainians and caring friends of Ukraine living in the USA, Germany, France, Italy, and Finland, more detailed information about specific events planned in the nearest future and how to join them.