Pepsi and Lays products sponsor the war in Ukraine
Updates: a factory owned by Pepsico in Ukraine near Kyiv it was destroyed by Russian bombing on the night between 20 and 21 September 2023. So we can say that Pepsico it self-financed the same missiles that razed one of its factories. Irony of fate.
We have often dealt with those companies that support Russia in the war in Ukraine (see the case Leroy Merlin e Ferrero with her Nutella), that is, those multinationals that, despite all the evidence on war crimes on the table of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, have not taken any steps backwards in their business in Russia.
Also Pepsico, the company producing brands such as Pepsi e Lays, has been officially declared war sponsor, as after all this time it continues to support its Russian business.
Pepsico in Russia, a thriving business
Despite Western pressure for a withdrawal of their production from the Russian Federation market, Pepsico he decided to maintain his trade in food & beverage products and to pay huge taxes to the Kremlin's tax system, despite some initial twists and turns which however did not affect his business.
In fact, in September 2022 a official press release from Pepsico announced that due to the tragic war in Ukraine it would suspend the distribution in Russia of its most successful drinks such as Pepsi and 7Up and block investments in the territory. But the note of Pepsico he was keen to point out that they would not abandon the country anyway so as not to damage the lives of Russian workers of their labor chain, while, lo and behold, he suspended operations in Ukraine for the good of the Ukrainians! If these words weren't written in black and white it would be almost difficult to invent them.
Out with Pepsi, in with Evervess Cola and Lyubimyi Cola
Assuming that Pepsico has actually suspended the production and distribution of the product. Pepsi has worked hard to replace it from March 2023 with not one, but two new drinks, Evervess drips e Lyubimyi cola, two drinks very similar to the original Pepsi although with the necessary differences in taste. In short, a door closes and a door opens wide.
Pepsico, charity for Russians
To understand the cynicism of an international brand like Pepsico it is sufficient to go to the Russian version of their site, the geolocalization of the contents shows that the company executives have either never turned on the TV since February 2022 or are clearly taking the Kremlin's side in this war. We bring you some paragraphs extracted from their "Charity" section on the site Pepsico russia: “In the center of PepsiCo there is the “Win Responsibly” principle – a deep belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world in which we live. We continuously improve our products, we act responsibly, let's protect the planet and we support people all over the world. We believe this pays off PepsiCo a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and its shareholders. PepsiCo adheres to this principle in all areas of its operations, including its corporate philanthropy programs“. It seems like a joke.
Lays crisps, the ration of Russian soldiers
If at least they tried to do some prestige act by committing to withdraw Pepsi from the Russian market, with their brand of chips Lays but they didn't even try. Indeed, there is evidence that Lays chips would be part of some food rations supplied by the Russian army, so let's imagine that in the sales office of Pepsico there are several orders coming directly from the Ministry of Defense of the International Criminal putin.
With Pepsico the accounts come back to the Kremlin
If the great Western powers have imposed sanctions that should have brought the Russian economy to its knees to stop the atrocities in Ukraine, multinationals such as Pepsico to be the crutch of the Kremlin's accounts. The remuneration in taxes paid each year on profits in Russia immediately turns into pro-Russian economic contributions for the war to target the peaceful cities of Ukraine, as has been done continuously since February 24, 2022.
Read more about the sponsors of the war in Ukraine
Obviously Pepsico it is not the only sponsor of the war in Ukraine, but it is definitely in good (or bad, you decide) company.
For more information on this topic we leave you some useful links to learn more and draw your own conclusions:
War & Sanctions: Ukrainian database on the companies sponsoring the war and on the elements (legal and private citizens) affected by international sanctions;
B4Ukraine: movement to highlight the affairs of multinationals in Russia;
Leave-Russia: In-depth database of all companies still operating in Russia. There are also updates on companies that have left the Kremlin or are doing so at the moment;
