In a display of solidarity with Ukraine, demonstrators converged outside Cadbury World in Birmingham, UK, on 16 March to confront Mondelez International, the parent company of Cadbury, over its financial backing of the Russian government amidst the ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Organized by members of the Ukrainian diaspora in the UK, the protest aimed to spotlight Mondelez’s contributions to Russia’s war budget. Reports indicate that despite promises to scale back operations, Mondelez has maintained three factories in Russia and reportedly channeled 48 million pounds in profit tax contributions to the Kremlin in 2022.
The activists gathered around messages such as “Stop Funding the War” and “Exit Russia.”
“Cadbury chocolates are among the most popular treats in the UK, a key market for Mondelez, but the link between Cadbury and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is often overlooked. Not a single penny of corporate contributions should bolster Russia’s militarized economy,” the organizers said.
Speakers at the event underscored the disparity between British taxpayer support for Ukraine, exceeding 13 billion pounds in bilateral assistance, and Mondelez’s actions, which critics argue, empower the Russian government accused of perpetrating war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
Mondelez acquired Cadbury in 2010 as a result of a takeover. Through Cadbury, the snacking giant sponsors many Premier League football teams, such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United.
In June 2023, the Ukrainian government labeled the company as an international sponsor of war, further amplifying the calls for corporate responsibility.
In February 2024, the СEO of Mondelez Dirk Van de Put claimed that investors do not “morally care” about its continued operations in Russia.
The reaction from London came from a Senior member of the British Parliament who called on Mondelez to withdraw from Russia and stop funding its “war machine.”
A member of the conservative party Bob Seely, who also chairs the Ukraine Parliamentary Group, highlighted that “any company doing business in Russia without good reason should suffer reputational damage,” adding: “They are helping fascism, pure and simple.”
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