Unilever is accused of hypocrisy for ‘spending enough in Russia to pay 39 bales a second’ as it continues to sell products such as ice cream and soap under Putin’s regime
- Unilever contributes half a billion pounds a year to the Russian economy
- This is equivalent to a monthly salary for a Russian soldier every two minutes
Unilever has been called a “bunch of hypocrites” for continuing to sell products such as ice cream and soap in Russia, indirectly contributing to its war chest.
The company – whose brands include Dove, Ben & Jerry’s and Marmite – contributes half a billion pounds to the Russian economy annually, according to an analysis by the Moral Rating Agency (MRA).
The campaign group’s estimate includes costs and taxes Unilever spent in Russia on production, wages and rent.
The London-based company’s expenses are the equivalent of a monthly salary for a Russian soldier every two minutes and a T-72 tank a day. It could pay 39 bullets every second, every day of the year, or one thermobaric rocket every 9.5 days. MRA spokesman Mark Dixon said: “A Cornetto ice cream seems harmless until you realize the millions of them sold every day can quickly pay for a missile launch.”
“Similarly, a bar of Dove soap starts to look pretty dirty when there’s enough of it to buy a Russian tank. British taxpayers financially support Ukraine and Britain’s Unilever financially supports Russia. Britain’s ally may soon have to fight Unilever staff invading Ukraine.
Protesters wearing balaclavas hold signs outside Unilever’s London headquarters in the march demanding the company stop doing business in Russia
The company – whose brands include Dove, Ben & Jerry’s and Marmite – contributes half a billion pounds a year to the Russian economy, according to an analysis by the moral rating agency. Pictured: Unilever’s headquarters in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
The London-based company’s expenses are the equivalent of a monthly salary for a Russian soldier every two minutes and a T-72 tank a day.
Unilever chief executive Hein Schumacher (pictured) said the withdrawal ‘could lead to its nationalisation’, pointing to the takeover of the Russian subsidiary of French yoghurt Danone earlier this summer.
“This twisted situation is the direct result of greed over morality despite the crocodile tears that Unilever is so adept at conjuring up.” The analysis also provoked fury from MPs, who criticized Unilever for its presence in Russia despite the “woke” posture of brands like Ben & Jerry’s. Tory MP Bob Seely said: ‘I understand there is a financial cost (to leaving Russia) but at the same time every time these people pay taxes to the Russian state they are funding a war.
The MP called Unilever bosses a ‘bunch of hypocrites’ and said the company represented ‘a moral vacuum’. Labor MP Chris Bryant said: ‘The Business Secretary should name and humiliate companies that continue to trade in Russia.’
Unilever chief executive Hein Schumacher said the withdrawal “could lead to its nationalisation”, pointing to the takeover of the Russian subsidiary of French yoghurt Danone earlier this summer.
But he promised a Ukrainian war veteran to look into the matter with “a pair of fresh eyes” in a leaked letter earlier this month. Unilever recently said it would comply with conscription laws, meaning its 3,000 Russian employees could be sent into combat.
n A PLOT to ethnically cleanse the Ukrainian city of Mariupol through population transfers has been uncovered. The plan would see 300,000 Russians move there with the incentive of a preferential mortgage loan scheme.
Only 100,000 of the city’s 450,000 inhabitants remain. More than 25,000 people were reportedly killed and 16,000 children kidnapped, while 90% of buildings were razed.
