Nestle's Russia Ties Puts Company in Twitter Users' Crosshairs

While many companies have suspended operations in Russia due to the war in Ukraine, Swiss food conglomerate Nestle has continued to provide essential products to Russia despite the mounting pressure to cut ties.

On Thursday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal tweeted that he spoke with Nestle CEO Mark Schneider "about the side effect of staying in [the] Russian market."

"Unfortunately," Shmyhal wrote, "he shows no understanding. Paying taxes to the budget of a terrorist country means killing defenseless children & mothers. Hope that Nestle will change its mind soon."

Nestle has halted advertisements in Russia and will not be working on any capital investment, and stopped shipping non-essential items like espresso coffee and mineral water, but has continued to provide more essential items like baby food to Russia, Bloomberg reported.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, and since then, almost 400 companies have announced plans to suspend operations in Russia in response, a move supported by nearly 75 percent of the American population, according to a Morning Consult poll from earlier this month.

The news from Prime Minister Shmyhal prompted Twitter users to begin calling for boycotts, stating that Nestle was singlehandedly helping fund the war in Ukraine.

On Thursday, Roman Hryshchuk, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, tweeted, "Putin is a war criminal," Russia is a terrorist state," and "Doing business in Russia means paying taxes in Russia."

He added that "Paying taxes in Russia means financing terror and war crimes in Ukraine," and concluded that "Companies like Nestle are financing the war."

Others have also blasted Nestle for paying taxes in Russia, creating graphics that depict the company as the "sponsor" of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Stratcom Centre UA, a strategic communications company under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, tweeted, "Nestlé continues paying taxes to the budget of a terrorist state, financing indiscriminate attacks on Ukrainian civilians."

Others accounts posted tweets depicting Nestle logos and offshoot brands with wartime symbols.

Nestle CEO Mark Schnieder posted a statement on March 2 regarding the conflict in Ukraine and pledged to match employee donations to the International Federation of Red Cross Societies (IFRC) up to $1 million. The company has also worked to provide food and supplies to Ukraine.

When asked for comment, a Nestle spokesperson directed Newsweek to a company statement released this week. "As a food company and employer, we recognize that we also have a responsibility toward our more than 7,000 employees in Russia — most of whom are locals," the statement said. "We will continue to do our utmost to ensure a reliable supply of safe and essential food products for the local people."