In the fifth year of Russia's war against Ukraine, President Putin has signed a decree transferring the Russian operations of Nestle, Auchan, Leroy Merlin, and FM Logistic to a state-linked entity with no business history, led by an interior ministry general. The Kremlin frames the seizures as retaliation against firms from nations it considers hostile — but the pattern, now repeating since 2023, speaks to something older and more deliberate: the use of economic possession as an instrument of geopolitical pressure. For the tens of thousands of workers caught inside these corporate structures,
Russia seizes Nestle, French firms' assets in latest Western business crackdown
Over 33,000 employees of Auchan's Russian subsidiary face uncertain employment status following the asset seizure.
Politics & Governance