Unilever has said it will allow Russian employees to be sent to Ukraine if they are called up.
The consumer goods giant, which has about 3,000 employees in Russia, has policies that cover the well-being and safety of its workers.
However, the letter to the B4Ukraine election group says it will abide by Russia’s conscription law.
Unilever is under pressure to leave Russia but says the situation is “not easy”.
In a letter to B4Ukraine , which urges companies to stop operations in Russia to hurt its economy, Unilever said it “categorically condemns the war in Ukraine as a cruel and senseless act of the Russian state.”
He also stated that he is responsible for his 3,000 employees, adding that he has “global principles, including the safety and well-being of our employees.”
However, the British firm, which makes products including Marmite and Cornetto ice cream, said it was “aware of a law requiring any company operating in Russia to allow employees to be drafted into the military if they are called up.”
“We always comply with all laws of the countries in which we operate,” wrote Reginaldo Ecclissato, Director of Commercial Operations and Supply Chain at Unilever.
A spokesman for the firm declined to say whether any Russian employees were called up.
The company will not continue to pay those in this position, the spokesman said.
Her letter says she paid the Russian state 3.8 billion rubles (£33m; $36m) in taxes in 2022, a similar amount to the previous year.
Most of her business in Russia is personal care and hygiene products, but she continues to supply ice cream.
At least 25,000 Russians died in the war, according to a study by the BBC Russian Service and the Russian website Mediazona , but other sources put the figure much higher.
British intelligence agencies estimate that between 40,000 and 60,000 Russian troops died in February.
The UN has also charged Russian soldiers with war crimes, including rape, “widespread” torture and murder.
Unilever and other Western firms were forced to withdraw from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
However, Unilever said it was “not that easy”. If it refuses operations, they will be “appropriated and then used” by the Russian state.
He failed to find a way to sell a business that “avoids the potential benefit of the Russian state and protects our people.”
It said there were no “desirable” ways forward, but continuing to do business with “strict restrictions” was the best option for the time being.
However, the Ukrainian Solidarity Project, which is part of B4Ukraine, said Unilever’s response was “amazing”.
“Today you are making ice cream, and tomorrow you are preparing for the front line. It cannot be said that Unilever does not offer its employees a diverse work experience,” said activist Valeria Voshchevskaya.
“If it’s protecting your workers, I wouldn’t want to see what harming them looks like.”
Source: BBC
