Russia takes control of the assets of subsequent European companies

The decree signed on Thursday orders the temporary control of assets belonging to the French flooring manufacturer Tarkett, as well as packaging companies - German Menshen, Swedish Sverige International Holdings and Danish Sonoco.

This step also has a symbolic dimension - the decree was signed on the same day as the two-day EU summit with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began in Brussels. The topics of Friday's talks include: Ukraine's military and energy needs.

Another such move by the Kremlin

This is another such move by the authorities in Moscow. In September, the assets of the Swiss food manufacturer Nestle, the French chain of food supermarkets Auchan and the German food chain Metro came under Russia's temporary management.

The Kremlin informed then that this was a response to the European Union's support for Ukraine. Representatives of the authorities in Moscow assured that this decision could be withdrawn.

In July 2023, the Russian assets of Danone, the country's largest dairy producer, were placed under the state's "temporary management" and supervised by a family member of Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya in the Russian North Caucasus.