Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged French companies established in Russia to stop supporting the Russian “war machine” and to leave this country, citing Renault, Auchan and Leroy Merlin.
” French companies must leave the Russian market. Renault, Auchan, Leroy Merlin and others, they must stop sponsoring Russia’s war machine in Ukraine, said Volodymyr Zelensky in a speech broadcast by videoconference to French deputies and senators. ” They must stop funding the murder of children and women, the rape “, he hammered. ” Everyone will remember that values are worth more than profits “, he warned.
The DIY brand Leroy Merlin, very established in Russia, its second market behind France, claims 36,000 employees in this country, who operate in 107 hypermarkets and 62 cities. Employees of the Ukrainian branch of Leroy Merlin asked the brand on Monday to cease its activities in Russia after the bombing of a store of the group in kyiv.
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The Auchan chain of stores is also emblematic of mass distribution in Russia, where it operates 231 stores for a turnover of 3.2 billion euros, or more than 10% of its overall activity. Other iconic international brands such as Sweden’s Ikea and the fast-food chain McDonald’s, on the other hand, have suspended their operations in Russia in reaction to the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia is also the Renault automotive group’s second largest market in the world behind Europe. The French manufacturer is present through the AvtoVAZ group, which halted part of its production in mid-March due to a shortage of components linked to Western sanctions imposed on Russia. Renault is all the more exposed as it is associated in Russia with the Russian public conglomerate Rostec, directed by Sergei Tchémezov, an ally of Vladimir Putin.
The French group TotalEnergies, also criticized for its maintenance in Russia, distanced itself somewhat from this strategic country on Tuesday. by announcing to renounce all purchases of oil or Russian petroleum products, by the end of the year at the latest.
(With AFP)