NEW YORK CITY, New York: Days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Nestle chocolate company for its continued ties to Russia, the company said it would halt the sale of more of its brands in the country.
“Going forward, we are suspending renowned Nestle brands, such as KitKat and Nesquik, among others,” Nestle said in a statement. “We have already halted non-essential imports and exports into and out of Russia, stopped all advertising, and suspended all capital investment in the country.”
During an address to the people of Switzerland, Zelensky said, “Good food. Good life.’ This is the slogan of Nestle. Your company, that refuses to leave Russia. Even now – when there are threats from Russia to other European countries. Not only to us. When there is even nuclear blackmail from Russia.”
Nestle, the world’s largest food and beverage company and the maker of such iconic brands as Gerber baby food, Cheerios and Dreyer’s ice cream, defended itself.
“We are focused on providing essential foods, such as baby food and medical/hospital nutrition products,” a Nestle spokesperson told CNN Business. “This means we will suspend the vast majority of our pre-war volume in Russia.”
Nestle announced, on March 11, that it suspended deliveries of its products to Russia, except for essential items such as baby food. It employs more than 7,000 workers in Russia, and had said it was identifying solutions for its employees and factories in Russia, but would continue to pay its employees there.
