Mondelez says the cookies and chocolates it sells in Russia are just part of a “normal diet,” but Bild newspaper thinks it’s a weak excuse.
In Germany, people love Milka chocolates, especially at Christmas, but now they’re finding out it’s owned by an American company that pays a lot of taxes to Russia. This news sparked a #BoycottMilka movement because folks don’t want their money supporting Russia. The company says the chocolates are just a regular part of the Russian diet, but some people think that’s just a weak excuse. The CEO also talks about supporting Russian farmers, but it turns out they’re getting a lot of chocolate from other countries, not really helping the locals. So now, Germans are caught between enjoying their favorite chocolates and the complicated reality of where the money goes.
According to Euromaidan Press, Mondelez, the company that makes snacks like Oreos, is in trouble with Ukraine. The Ukrainian government National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) says it’s like a “sponsor of war” because it made more money in Russia, even though it promised to do less business there. This led to Scandinavian businesses boycotting Mondelez. Instead of leaving Russia, Mondelez says it will make its Russian business more independent by the end of the year. But the company keeps its plans a secret, making people curious. Kyiv School of Economics, Ukraine worries that the money Mondelez made in Russia might be used for things like missiles that harm Ukrainian kids. So, everyone is watching to see if Mondelez keeps its promises and how it plans to run its business in Russia.