The tobacco company Philip Morris International continues to support the terrorist country by paying taxes, which in turn help finance Russia’s military budget.
This information became known from the annual report of the corporation, which also recognized the Crimean peninsula as part of the territory of the Russian Federation. The Vesti Krym website reports that Philip Morris boasts in its annual reports of thanks from Putin, pays billions in taxes on weapons for the Kremlin’s army, and continues to be present in the occupying country’s market. Unfortunately, it is not known how this morally questionable cooperation will end, as it is unclear what actions the company will take in the future. If they now recognize Ukrainian Crimea as Russian territory, new “Russian” cities like Kharkiv, Kherson, or Zaporizhzhia may appear on their maps. The post is supported by a screenshot of the company’s report for the past year.
Journalist Yevhen Plynskyi calls for a public discussion about the corporation’s activities:
Isn’t it time to start a loud public discussion about this company’s activities? For some reason, the authorities will not begin to notice all this. The authorities see Philip Morris only when he promotes their interests in the Parliament.
In April 2022, PMI promised to exit the Russian market, but later said it was “unable to find a buyer.”