The Ukrainian government is reportedly considering an end to its “International Sponsors of War” blacklist, which lists major companies that are passively funding the Russian invasion by continuing to do business in Russia because China and France strongly object to the naming and shaming of their corporations. The ministers also felt the Sponsors of War list was redundant because the Ukrainian government also maintains a “state register of sanctions” that does have legal force.
Part of the rationale for shaming the companies as “Sponsors of War” is that they are paying taxes to the Russian government, which is spending lavishly on the stalled invasion of Ukraine. Some of the companies also pay for advertising in Russian media, employ local services such as food delivery, and “cooperate with state and local law enforcement agencies of the aggressor country,” as NAZK put it. Most of the 50 companies currently listed as Sponsors of War are relatively obscure, but there are a few heavyweight corporate entries, including Nestle, PepsiCo, Unilever, and Subway