The Subway Sandwich franchise is now on Ukraine’s list of “international war sponsors” for continuing to run more than 500 stores across Russia and helping finance Moscow’s war against Kyiv, Ukraine’s National Agency on Anti-Corruption (NACP) said on Wednesday.
In a press release from NACP, the agency said Subway actively advertises through authorized Russian social networks and makes deliveries through Yandex, Russia’s main search engine.
The Milford, Connecticut-based company now joins a list of other companies, including PepsiCo, Philip Morris International and Procter & Gamble in doing business in Russia, according to the agency.
Subway has been operating in Russia for more than 20 years, with 550 restaurants in 122 cities, making the sandwich chain in Russia the third largest in Europe, and adding it to the list of those “financing the murder of Ukrainians,” according to the agency. .
Subway is now on Ukraine’s list of “international war sponsors”. Getty Images
It is not the first time the sandwich chain has faced controversy after they were first approached with pressure to close operations in 2022, at the start of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Since the full-scale invasion, Subway has not reported any reduction in its operations in Russia,” the Ukrainian agency said, adding that the company still collects royalty payments from its business in Russia.
The company declared that it supports Ukraine but its hands are tied to stop or stop its business in Russia, citing its franchise business model.
“Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, and we are committed to supporting those affected by the tragic events in the region,” according to a statement released by the sandwich chain. “In addition to working with our franchisees across Europe to provide food to refugees, we will divert any profits from operations in Russia to humanitarian efforts supporting the people of Ukraine who have been affected by the war.”
This is not the first time the sandwich chain has faced controversy after they were first approached with pressure to close operations in 2022.
The company also added that their restaurants in Russia are all independently owned and operated by local franchisees and managed by independent master franchisees.
“We do not directly control these independent franchisees and their restaurants,” the company said.
FOX Business reached out to Subway for comment but has not yet heard back.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
