Mondelez boss admits 'not pleased' his firm's taxes fund Russia's war in Ukraine

The boss of Cadbury-owner Mondelez has admitted he is 'not pleased' that his company's taxes are helping to fund Russia's war in Ukraine – but insists staying was the 'right decision'. Dirk Van de Put, chief executive of the confectionery giant, told the BBC: 'We pay taxes in Russia that helps the war. I'm not pleased about that.' Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country has generated between $1bn and $1.4bn a year for Mondelez. Many Western companies, such as McDonald's, exited Russia entirely. Mondelez, which also produces Philadelphia cream cheese, Ritz crackers and Toblerone, instead discontinued new investment and suspended advertising spending. Van de Put argued that pulling out would risk thousands of jobs and leave the company vulnerable to the Kremlin taking control of its local operations. 'They would have confiscated our plant. It would have probably given them a much bigger source of income, keep on selling our products to fund the war,' he said. 'So I feel that in the end it is not the most popular decision, but I think it was the right decision.' His defence has drawn sharp criticism. Last year, more than 70 MPs signed a letter from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine calling for Mondelez to sever ties with Russia. Alex Sobel, chair of the group, wrote: 'Continuing to operate in a nation responsible for the deaths of countless Ukrainian civilians and the abduction of thousands of children cannot be justified under any definition of "business as usual".' Van de Put acknowledged the moral dilemma: 'I think over time you try to be neutral in the whole conflict. We're not trying to take any side. Can we be criticised for that? Yeah, of course.' Meanwhile, Mondelez continues to operate in Ukraine, where the war is never far away. On the morning he spoke to the BBC, an office building there was hit. 'Everybody's safe,' he said. 'But yes, it's the reality of the situation.' The company runs two manufacturing plants in Ukraine – one in Trostyanets, near the Russian border, and one in Vyshhorod, close to the capital Kyiv. 'One plant got hit twice, we've rebuilt it twice,' Van de Put said, adding that it costs tens of millions each time. 'We've agreed that we will rebuild every single time there so we keep on investing in the country.'