Nestlé to suspend supply of part of products in Russia

Nestlé said on Wednesday it would stop selling several non-essential products, including chocolate bars, in Russia amid pressure from criticism of the company’s operations in the country amid the war in Ukraine.

The announcement is unprecedented by the food manufacturer, which has had operations in war zones around the world for decades.

The brands the company is suspending make up the “vast majority of volume and sales” in Russia, which were 1.7 billion Swiss francs ($1.82 billion) in 2021, a spokesperson said. The production of these items will also be stopped.

Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Nestlé of failing to live up to the slogan “Good food, good life”. In the days leading up to his comments, Nestlé had already been receiving online criticism from activists, investors and political figures about its stay in Russia.

The company previously said it halted non-essential exports and imports in Russia and also suspended all advertising and investment in the country. The company also said it was not making a profit in Russia.

Nestlé was not alone in saying that it would continue to supply basic nutrition and hygiene items, such as milk and diapers, in Russia. PepsiCo, Unilever and Procter & Gamble also said they will keep offering essential products in the country.

“By refusing to stop business activities in Russia, Nestlé allows Russia’s war of aggression in Europe to continue,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Ivanovych Kuleba, who is more than 10 years old, wrote on Twitter on Thursday. 742 thousand followers on the platform.

In a statement, Nestlé said it “supports the people of Ukraine and our 5,800 employees in the country”. The company said it will continue to pay workers in Russia.

More than 400 companies have withdrawn from Russia since the war began on February 24, leaving behind assets worth hundreds of billions of dollars.