Ben & Jerry's Faces Boycott Calls Over Founder's Stance on Ukraine Weapons

• Ben & Jerry's ice cream is facing boycott calls after co-founder Ben Cohen spoke out against U.S. providing military aid to Ukraine.
• Cohen believes the U.S. should use its power to negotiate an end to the war instead of supplying weapons.
• This isn't the first time Ben & Jerry's has faced backlash for its social views, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis taking a harsh stance against the company in 2021.

People are calling for a boycott of Ben & Jerry's ice cream after learning that co-founder Ben Cohen is against the U.S. continuing to support Ukraine with funds and weapons.

People's Power Initiative, a group headed and funded by Cohen, has launched Eisenhower Media Network (EMN), a project that provides journalists with access to military experts, some of which believe the U.S. is providing too much aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

It isn't the first time the company has faced pushback for its view on social matters. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took a harsh stance against the company when Ben & Jerry's stopped selling its ice cream in contested Israeli territories in 2021. The company also faced scrutiny when it released its "Change Is Brewing" flavor in 2019 that advocated for the right to vote. It also has been vocal about supporting the Black Lives Matter initiative since 2016.

The news has led to calls for boycott on Twitter, with some people calling Ben & Jerry's "woke" and "fascist." Some Twitter users pointed out that a boycott would do little considering Cohen is no longer with the company. In 2001, it was purchased by Unilever, which owns more than 400 brands in a variety of sectors, including food and home care.

EMN describes itself as "an independent resource for journalists" on its website, where it offers expert opinion on the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022. The Daily Beast reported that some of the experts said the U.S. is contributing to the war by supplying weapons and funds to Ukraine. According to the article, EMN sent email blasts to journalists regarding U.S. contributions.

"The outrageous federal spending on the Ukraine war is missing from the discussion on the national debt... It's time to think about pausing funding for Ukraine if we cannot afford it," said Matthew Hoh, EMN's associate director.

Edward Erikson, a campaign manager for People's Power Initiative, told Newsweek that Cohen's stance is consistent with what he has believed for the past 30 years.

"He's pro peace," Erikson said. "He's been pretty clear on condemning Russia's attack on Ukraine and Russia's war of aggression, but he's also been clear that the U.S. should use its full power to push for diplomacy and an end of suffering for both Ukraine and the Russian citizens as quickly as possible."

Ben & Jerry's Public Relations Director Sean Greenwood told Newsweek that although Cohen was acting in a personal capacity, not as a representative of Ben & Jerry's, the company also opposes the war.

"Ben & Jerry's stands firmly against military action of any kind to alter national borders, which is why we remain opposed to Russia's invasion of Ukraine," Greenwood said.

Cohen, a progressive who co-founded Ben & Jerry's with Jerry Greenfield, also believes that the U.S. should stop supplying weapons to Ukraine.

"I think the U.S. should use its power to negotiate an end to the war, not prolong the death and destruction by supplying more weapons," Cohen said.

Cohen's views align with politicians across the aisle who also are calling for the U.S. to stop its support of Ukraine, although their reasons differ.

The U.S. has supplied Ukraine with billions of dollars in military aid, including tanks, missiles and more to be used in the fight against Russia. Republicans such as representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida have pushed back against continued support.

Greene has made controversial statements about her stance against the war, claiming that the U.S. is funding a proxy war with Russia. In February, Gaetz introduced a resolution calling for the U.S. to "end its military and financial aid to Ukraine and urges all combatants to reach a peace agreement."

Cohen has frequently been vocal about social justice issues. In 2012, he launched the Stamp Stampede campaign with the Movement Resource Group, urging people to stamp dollar bills to further a movement removing big money from politics. The messages included "Corporations are not people" and "money is not free speech."

The issue led to his arrest four years later, when Cohen and Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield were arrested at a protest in Washington, D.C. Protesters supported myriad issues, such as action against climate change, racial justice, access to health care. Cohen told CNN that he and Greenfield protested to remove big money from politics, claiming that politics had been corrupted by major corporations. About 300 others were arrested for protesting at the 2016 event.

Newsweek reached out to Ben & Jerry's by email for comment.

Update 3/20/23, 4:45 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Sean Greenwood.