>

They don't even deny it. Read their statement, it's very generic:

“On December 30th, Russian social media spread misleading information about our activity in Russia. The information and declarations assigned to Bonduelle company and its management are fake. Bonduelle Group is maintaining its activities in Russia with the only objective to ensure that the population has access to essential food-stuff in Russia and in the surrounding countries.”

It doesn't say there weren't such food kits. It doesn't say they haven't wished Russians a "speed victory" either. Just "uh oh, social media lied about us". 
So it's safe to assume they have done it and it was probably OK'd by main French branch. Otherwise they would have fired Eliseeva already and their statement would be more of a "we do not support and have never supported this war, we also have never donated any food kits to Russian troops". Instead it's pure damage control that doesn't actually reject any of the claims.
It seems the people in charge of the Russian branch did this without clearing it with the main office in France.
In any case even under the best circumstances this shines a light on the fact the Bonduelle is apparently still doing business in Russia.
I guess food and drugs were always exempt from the sanctions, but it is still not a good look. >

Not just doing business in Russia to supply food to the general public and create tax revenues driven by economic growth, but also supporting genocide in Ukraine by sending care packages to encourage Russian terrorists. >

Let's be real here, the Russian branch might not have had much choice in the matter. But doesn't change the fact that they had previously decided that they were fine with the cost of doing business. >

Doubtful they were randomly forced to send care packages. But then again, this is Putin's Russia. >

I don't think there's anything random there. Russia is fucked for resources and has absolute power, they go "send rations for our troops or we just take over the factory". Seems pretty straight forward to me. >

You'd think most of these companies would be ready to just scuttle factories on a moment's notice when things start to look hairy >

You might but these companies are the ones that lack the understanding to pull out from Russia in the first place. Most likely the most complex strategy their management has formulated is “I like money”. >

...the publication quoted the director of the Bonduelle representative office in Russia, Ekaterina Eliseeva, who said that “sincere wishes for a speedy victory are no less important than the food kit itself.”
Wtf?! >

Well, Bonduelle has two options, pull out of Russia or be boycotted for being bags of shit. >

Oh please, we are talking about France. Country that despite being the strongest military in the EU has managed a grand total of 0.05% of it's GDP towards Ukraine war efforts (in contrast to 1% of Estonia and 0.5% of Poland). 
I mean - Le Pen who is OPENLY pro Russia with elections already after war had started managed to grab 41.45% of all votes. Heck, France was busy breaking it's own sanctions just so they could deliver weaponry to Russia. 
Bonduelle is a symptom, not a cause. Nobody important in France will seriously boycott them for doing what seemingly nearly half the country sees as a right course of action. 
This might sound grim and excessive but that's the reality - French companies are not even considering pulling out of Russia. Why would they when there's 0 pressure to do so? >

This is a global brand depending on many markets. In Sweden we have a 97 % support for Ukraine for example. People won't like this... >

Unfortunately, most people will not even hear of it, and most of those that will, won't care. >

Not true in my experience. I bought a pair of Bugatti in a store that also sells Ecco shoes. I brought up how I think Ecco is despicable for not only staying in Russia, but also having a high profile, advertising with large banners in shopping malls in St Petersburg.
The guy I talk to did understand what I talked about but claimed it had been decided to keep Ecco in the store. >

Here in Poland people boycotted Leroy Merlin, Auchan, Decathlon and other French brands for not leaving Russia - hell, they expanded their market there after their competition left - but it was only good enough for a month or two. After that, people seem to have forgotten. Leroy Merlin ranked up their advertising on one of the main TV stations after the boycotts started and people got upset the TV station actually kept showing the commercials, to which they replied "the Polish branch of the company is not responsible for the actions of the corporation." Money grubbing vultures. >

I work for Auchan. New CEO directly comes from Russian branch >

Sanctions to this company and it’s directors, massive fines for this, put that money into support for Ukraine.  Theses types were the people that happily did business with Hitler in the 1930’s and even into ww2 etc. >

Imagine being an army that needs food donations, lol. >

Imagine being a country dependent on fertilizer supplies from your enemy to affordably feed your people. >

Well there goes my favorite veggie brand.... their quality tends to be pretty good but it's not worth this. Fuck off. >

Fuck those price hiking assholes. Their cans of sweetcorn are usualy easily 3 or 4 times the storebrand price. For simple fucking sweet corn. Not to mention all their other shit. Honestly don't know how they get away with it. Who buys that when there's simple store brand canned stuff for a fraction of the price... >


Their cans of sweetcorn are usualy easily 3 or 4 times the storebrand price

Embrace frozen corn and never go back. >

Noted. I used their canned vegetables and frozen food. They can go fuck themselves. Me and my family won't buy their products anymore, will also tell all my friends about this. >

I work for a major food retailer n Russia. It is getting progressively harder to avoid getting blood on our hands in one way or another. For example, the goverment is trying to force us to hire soldiers returning from Ukraine and our GR department is working very hard to find ways to get out of it. It  is a 'damn if you do damned if you don't' type of situation. We either break our sustainability commitments/ruin the reminants of our reputation or get it trouble with the government and risk losing the company. >


our GR department

Tell me you're russian without telling me you're russian >

Let them eat cake >

French office denies the truth.