Unilever has been accused of being a ‘triple hypocrite’ by The Moral Rating Agency (MRA) over its ongoing support for the Russian economy.
The MRA is calling upon Unilever’s new CEO, Hein Schumacher, to stop all commercial activity in Russia and is calling the firm a hypocrite following newly released calculations of the firm’s potential contributions to the country’s military and war effort against Ukraine.
The agency’s statistics compare the estimated contribution of Unilever to the Russian treasury and economy, to the cost of individual weapons and soldiers used in the country’s war against Ukraine.
It estimates the firm’s current support for the Russian treasury and economy at £580 million per year, or £1.6 million a day, equivalent to the cost of 46 bullets per second being fired for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Alternatively, Unilever’s contributions could equate to a Wagner mercenary’s monthly salary every 7 minutes, a Kalibr missile every 12 hours, or a new Sukhoi Su-25 warplane every five and a half days.
The shocking numbers come in the wake of Unilever being named an ‘international sponsor of war’ by Ukraine.
The data has led the MRA founder, Mark Dixon, to call the firm a ‘triple hypocrite’, criticising Unilever for claiming to care about global issues while supporting a country that poses a threat to global stability.
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Other reasons Dixon lists include accusing the firm of contradiction by labelling non-essential foods like Magnum and Cornetto ice creams as “essential foods”, and condemning a war while simultaneously supposedly supporting the economy that funds it.
“A Cornetto ice cream seems innocuous until you realise that millions of them being sold each day can quickly pay for the launch of a missile.” said MRA founder, Mark Dixon.
“Likewise, a bar of Dove soap starts to look pretty dirty when there are enough of them being produced to purchase a Russian tank.”
The calculations come in the wake of Unilever’s ongoing business activities in Russia, where the firm continue to manufacture and sell most of its original products in the country, even as other brands exit the country.
Currently, the company has only suspended residual activities, including imports, exports and advertising, and has made no public plans to halt their production facilities.
Expressing concern that Unilever’s actions undermine efforts to end the war, Dixon said, “Unilever must stop hiding behind its balance sheet and excuses to face the reality that selling an ice cream can allow Putin to pay for a bullet.
“The Moral Rating Agency calls on Unilever to do the moral thing and side with democracy and civilisation itself. Hein Schumacher should use his new position to make Unilever a moral organisation,” he concluded.
Last year member of the public launched a protest outside Unilever’s headquarters in London calling upon the company to cease economic activity in Russia.
