Unilever is accused of hypocrisy for “spending enough in Russia to pay for 39 bullets per second” while continuing to sell products including ice cream and soap under Putin’s regime
- Unilever contributes half a billion pounds annually to the Russian economy
- This is equivalent to one month’s salary for a Russian soldier every two minutes
Unilever has been called “a bunch of hypocrites” because it continues to sell products like ice cream and soap in Russia, indirectly contributing to the war chest.
The company — whose brands include Dove, Ben & Jerry’s and Marmite — contributes half a billion pounds a year to the Russian economy, according to analysis by the Moral Rating Agency (MRA).
The campaign group’s estimate includes the costs and taxes Unilever spent in Russia on production, wages and rent.
The London-based company’s expenses are the equivalent of one month’s salary for a Russian soldier every two minutes and one T-72 tank a day. It could pay 39 bullets per second every day of the year, or one thermobaric rocket every 9.5 days. MRA spokesman Mark Dixon said: ‘A Cornetto ice cream cone seems harmless until you realize that millions of them are sold every day, quickly paying for the launch of a rocket.
“Similarly, a bar of Dove soap starts to look pretty gross when enough of it is produced to buy a Russian tank.” The British taxpayer supports Ukraine financially and the British Unilever supports Russia financially. Britain’s ally may soon even have to fight Unilever personnel invading Ukraine.
Protesters in balaclavas hold banners outside Unilever’s London headquarters in 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 one month’s salary for a Russian soldier every two minutes and one T-72 tank per day
Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher (pictured) says withdrawal ‘could lead to nationalisation’, pointing to the acquisition of the Russian subsidiary of French yoghurt maker Danone earlier this summer
“This twisted situation is the direct result of greed over morality, despite the crocodile tears that Unilever so skillfully evokes.” The analysis also sparked anger among MPs, who criticized Unilever for its presence in Russia, despite “awakened” affectation from brands like Ben & Jerry’s. Conservative MP Bob Seely said: ‘I understand there is a financial cost to leaving Russia, but at the same time these people are financing a war every time they pay taxes to the Russian state.
The MP called Unilever bosses “a bunch of hypocrites” and said the company represented “a moral void”. Labor MP Chris Bryant said: “The company secretary should name and shame companies that are still operating in Russia.”
Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher says the withdrawal “could lead to nationalisation”, referring to the acquisition of the Russian subsidiary of French yoghurt maker Danone earlier this summer.
But he promised a Ukrainian war veteran in a leaked letter earlier this month to look at the issue with “a new pair of eyes.” Unilever recently said it would abide by conscription laws, meaning its 3,000 Russian workers could be sent out to fight.
A plot to ethnically cleanse the Ukrainian city of Mariupol through population transfers has been uncovered. Under the plan, a reported 300,000 Russians would move there with the incentive of a preferential mortgage program.
Of the city’s 450,000 inhabitants, only 100,000 remain. More than 25,000 people were reportedly killed and 16,000 children abducted, while 90 percent of buildings were razed to the ground.