Scaled back, but still standing: Dutch companies in Russia
More than eight months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many large Dutch companies are still active in Russia and remain tight-lipped about how many employees they employ.
Companies such as Unilever, Heineken, SHV, AkzoNobel and Philips have reduced their operations in the country, but still provide employment for thousands of Russians. Telegraph found.
Other than Phillips subsidiary Signify, no one knows if any staff have been mobilized to fight the Ukrainians.
“It’s pretty bad,” Helga Salemon, a Russia expert at The Hague Center for Strategic Studies, told the paper. “These are Dutch companies and we are expected to be transparent about this. (..) These companies will continue to operate to support the Russian economy and be part of the war effort,” she said. Told.
Unilever employs the most Russians, around 3,000 people, and produces “essential products” for the local market, such as sanctions-free detergents and deodorants.
No new business
Dutch bank ING told Telegraaf it would not enter into new business activities with Russia, but it is not pulling out of the country like other banks. has a loan of
Philips employed 600 people to help modernize Russia’s medical service. It’s now ‘downscaled’, but it’s not clear how many people are still working at the company.
Akzo Nobel, which has 640 employees, said it had scaled back most of its activities in Russia but maintained a “local presence,” a spokesperson told the newspaper.
The investment company SHV employs about 900 people in Russia. “All of Nutreco’s activities in Russia have been sold and Mammoet’s activities have been reduced to levels within its contractual obligations,” a spokesperson told the newspaper.
phase out
Shell declined to comment on how many employees it is hiring in Russia, but said it was also phasing out its activities. “It will take some time and must be done in a careful manner so as not to jeopardize fuel supplies to countries around the world,” Shell CEO Ben Van Baden previously said. said.
DSM also says it has stopped anything not related to essential needs and is making baby food and vitamins. The company employs 100 people.
Beer giant Heineken, who declined to comment at all, was unable to sell its Russian assets and still employs 1,800 people in Russia.
Boskalis and Fugro told the newspaper that they no longer have “significant business activities” in either Russia or Ukraine.
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2023/02/scaled-down-but-still-there-dutch-companies-in-russia/ Scaled back, but still standing: Dutch companies in Russia