Why does Philip Morris continue to sponsor putin's army?

This company, which currently holds over 25% in the russian market and is one of the largest taxpayers in the russian federation, is investing $30 million in new production facilities in the Lviv region.

So, on the one hand, Philip Morris, through tax payments to the russian budget, sponsors putin's army. And on the other hand, it is building a factory in a country that the same army is trying to erase from the face of the earth.

Just two years ago, Philip Morris announced its intention to leave the russian market. However, this did not happen. Needless to mention the reasons for it. Whether it's the absence of buyers or the draconian policies of the russian government towards foreign investors. For us, the fact is that the American company is successfully developing its business in a terrorist country. The total amount of Philip Morris International's investments in the russian federation exceeds $2 billion.

According to the financial statements of Philip Morris's russian division, the company's revenue in the first year of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine increased by 8% to 140.3 billion rubles, and net profit reached 48.2 billion rubles, which is 45% more than in 2021. Accordingly, a corporate tax of over $136 million was paid to the aggressor's budget.

Philip Morris's further operations in russia serve as a marker for many foreign investors. The company sponsors russian terrorists. There have been no consequences for it so far. Yes, in August 2023, the Ukrainian NACP included Philip Morris in the list of sponsors of international terrorism. This means automatic inclusion of the company in the World-Check database - the world's largest database for checking counterparties for connections to terrorist organizations, fraud, etc.

Even more strangely, when Ukraine marks Philip Morris as a sponsor of international terrorism, it does not simultaneously ban this company from operating in its own market. And that's disgraceful. Because in our country we should not tolerate the work of such companies as Philip Morris, PepsiCo (7UP, Mirinda, Sandora) etc., which continue to operate in russia and sponsor putin's terrorism.