They never left Russia. As international companies support the war in Ukraine

Diaan Francis editor Canadian National Post, Senior Researcher atlantic Council Most Transnational Corporations remain in Russia and finance Putin's invasion of Ukraine in January 1990 McDonald's opened his first restaurant on Pushkin's Square in Moscow. agriculture and marketing of the country. The presence of McDonald's in Russia has eventually increased to the network of 847 outlets and 62,000 employees before the brutal invasion of Ukraine has changed everything this year.

Video day after the invasion of McDonald's has announced that he would close all his offices in Russia and put business for sale. The company statement explains that "the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the unforeseen an intensified operating environment led McDonald's to the conclusion that further business ownership in Russia is more inappropriate and does not correspond to McDonald's values.

" The McDonald's decision was a rare example of a fundamental and expensive position for the owners of a high -yielding world brand. Another 1000 multinational corporations soon voluntarily announced that they will follow their example and leave Russia. Many have received considerable praise for their position.

But the sad reality is that, in addition to McDonald's, three -quarters of the most profitable foreign transnational corporations remain in Russia, according to a study conducted by a group of B4ukraine activists, a coalition of Ukrainian and international civil society organizations. "Today, only 106 companies have left the Russian market, and more than 1149 remained international," said the founder weareukraine. info Natalia Popovich.

- The public has the impression that most major international brands have already left Russia. In fact, most companies that are reducing the scale and ceasing activities do it loud, and eight of ten companies that run a business in one way or another in Russia are silent about it. ” Andriy Onoprienko, Deputy Director for the Development of Political Research, Kyiv School of Economics, claims that the presence of transnational companies in Russia allows Moscow to continue the war in Ukraine.

“Russia needs about $ 1 billion a day to replenish their forces invasion of soldiers, equipment and weapons. Continuing its activities in Russia, international business contributes to Russia's military efforts, ”he said. - The remaining companies pay corporate taxes and salary taxes to the Russian Government, as well as the salary of approximately 690,000 of their employees in Russia. They are not neutral participants in Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.

" Ukrainian organizations not only urge transnational corporations to leave Russia, but also ask for businesses that are doing business in Russia, to carry out their own inspection of human rights. “Analysis of the value creation chain shows that significant investments, joint ventures and services of transnational companies continue at a rapid pace, especially in such areas of risk such as oil and gas, consumer goods and banking.

Most of them are the same companies that claim that the management principles of doing business in the aspect of Human Rights (UNGP) and its call for proper human rights care. Unfortunately, it is not enough for this concern, ”Richard Stasinsky, executive director of Heartland Initiative, explained. The process of exiting Russia is not easy and can lead to some great costs, even to the possibility of preventive nationalization of assets in the Russian state.

One example of this is a multi -billion -dollar gas project on Sakhalin Island in the Pacific. "Russia has taken control of the international consortium behind the giant oil and gas project" Sakhalin-2 ", transferring it to a new Russian legal entity, which will actually give the Kremlin the right to vote on what foreign investors will be allowed to preserve their shares," The Wall reports. Street Journal.

"Two large Japanese energy investors stated that the cost of their shares in the Russian gas project has fallen more than twice [about $ 1 billion] after Putin's decree threatened to deprive them of their rights. " Such actions of the Russian authorities are a form of "expropriation blackmail", the founder of Moral Rating Agency Mark Dixon wrote in the July report. "We expect a tsunami expropriation or blackmailed concessions in the next few months.

" In the globalized world, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has erected international companies in an extremely compromised position. They are criticized for obvious reasons that they do not leave the Russian market, and they are threatened with punishment by Russia if they try to leave. This may explain why so many companies have announced their exit, but then detained or put it off.

Despite these problems, those who remain in Russia cannot count on sympathy and will still face pressure to force them. Going from the Russian market, transnational corporations can make an important contribution to reducing the funding of the Putin military machine. This is regarded as a vital element in the struggle for the cessation of an unsuccessful invasion of Moscow into Ukraine.