Ukraine accuses French retailer Auchan for 'funding war crimes' after these revelations

Ukraine has accused privately-owned French retailer, Auchan, for becoming a "full-fledged weapon of Russian aggression" in Ukraine. He criticized the retailer for supplying goods to the Russian army and helping Moscow in its ongoing onslaught on Kyiv.

In a tweet Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote, "Last year, I urged the world to boycott Auchan for failing to withdraw from Russia and stop funding war crimes. However, the reality seems to be far worse: Auchan has evolved into a full-fledged weapon of Russian aggression. I intend to discuss this with my French counterpart."

The entire controversy started last year, after a joint report by French newspaper Le Monde and investigative websites The Insider and Bellingcat, revealed that Auchan's branch in Russia supplied the Russian army with products worth 2 million rubles ($27,000). However, the report fell short of revealing as to who gave them the information. They attributed the report to anonymous sources.

Further, Auchan last year said it has no plans to exit its business from Russia, even as many other western companies left the Russian market after the war started in Eastern Europe.

Auchan was "very surprised" over the report and in its defence said, "We do not voluntarily and actively fund or participate in any fundraising for Russian forces."Auchan's chief executive Yves Claude in an earlier interview gave his reasons for not pulling out its business from Russia. He said that if Auchan exits Russia it would lead to losing assets or legal issues for its managers.

Reacting to the argument, Kuleba had said, "Apparently, job losses in Russia are more important than the loss of life in Ukraine."

Auchan's Ukraine branch in a comment to AFP news agency expressed shock over the reports and said, "Auchan Ukraine has provided assistance to Ukrainians worth over 60 million hryvnias ($1.6 million)."In the latest development, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will meet with Kuleba on 21 February.

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