Unilever Invests €21 Million in Ukrainian Economy While Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Supports Pro-Russian Group
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder, Ben Cohen, has donated over $1 million to the People Power Initiatives, a group advocating to end US military support for Ukraine. The organization includes the Eisenhower Media Network, which aims to reach diverse media outlets and people with messages from former military, intelligence, and civilian national security officials. Some of these officials, such as retired US Army Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, have suggested that NATO’s expansion eastward provoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Such statements sound exactly like Russian propaganda narratives that were created to justify the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Cohen believes the US should negotiate to end the war rather than supply more weapons that prolong death and destruction. Following this news, some Twitter users have called for a boycott of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
This controversy is not the first time Ben & Jerry’s has been embroiled in political controversy. In 2021, the ice cream maker declared it would no longer sell products in the “Israeli-occupied West Bank,” citing alleged human rights violations against Palestinians. Unilever, the multinational parent company of Ben & Jerry’s, overturned the decision and sold the Israeli arm of the company to a local licensee. This situation prompted Ben & Jerry’s to file a lawsuit against Unilever.
Cohen and Greenfield are not involved in the company’s day-to-day management, as it is now a subsidiary of Unilever. While Cohen is a known supporter of progressive politicians like Sen. Bernie Sanders, the progressive wing of the Democratic party is mainly supportive of the Biden administration’s Ukraine policies. On the other hand, the Republican Party has been divided on the issue.
Some prominent Republicans, like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Mitt Romney, have supported the Biden administration’s Ukraine policies, while others, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene have expressed opposition. Ukraine has been suffering from a full-scale Russian invasion for over a year. While Ukrainian forces have rolled back most of Russia’s gains, the Russian military has continued to target civilian infrastructure with bombings.
Ben & Jerry’s and its co-founder Cohen have taken anti-Israel positions in the past, resulting in Israeli citizens’ boycotts of their products. However, Cohen’s recent donation to a group advocating for an end to US military support for Ukraine is unrelated to the ice cream maker’s stance on Israel. At the same time, it shows the commitment of Mr. Cohen to initiatives that support violence and intolerance for the last couple of years.
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is still on shelves in Ukrainian stores, and we will see how the initiative of its co-founder will affect sales in one of the biggest European countries. We can assume that the civil society of Ukraine will not be silent about such a move of the ice cream co-founder and will boycott their products even though this is a part of Unilever’s company. At the same time, Unilever, the global consumer goods company, has announced plans to invest €20 million ($21.4 million) in a new production facility located in the Kyiv region of Ukraine. The company views this investment as supporting its growing business and demonstrating its long-term commitment to the country. Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin this year and is expected to be completed by 2024.
The new factory will employ approximately 100 workers and will manufacture personal care items, such as shampoos and shower gels. Although the facility will initially cater to the Ukrainian market, it has the potential for future expansion into European markets.
Meanwhile, Unilever has faced criticism for continuing to conduct business in Russia amidst the ongoing war with Ukraine. The Economic Security Council of Ukraine expressed disappointment in Unilever’s decision, stating that it contributes to the violence in the region.
