The building of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in KyivMOSCOW, Apr 11Verkhovna Rada Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that companies from China, India, France, Italy, Austria and Hungary refuse to stop working in Russia, despite pressure from Kiev. According to him, out of 900 international companies operating in Ukraine and Russia, 200 stubbornly refuse to terminate activities in the Russian Federation. Among them are such large organizations as Metro, Societe General, Danon, Leroy Merlin, Anheuser-Busch InBev. «We have the biggest problem with China, with companies from Austria, Hungary, France, Italy and India. These are the most problematic markets, whose companies they don’t want to leave the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian deputy said on the air of the Ukraine 24 TV channel. He is one of the developers of the bill that raises taxes in Ukraine for international companies operating in Russia by one and a half times. The document was adopted by the Rada in the first reading. Vice-Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Alexander Kornienko previously recognized this law as discriminatory and noted that many enterprises would appeal against it. Kornienko also noted that the financial and economic component of this law is insignificant, since taxes are now reduced in Ukraine, this document is much more important as an element of psychological pressure on Western businesses to leave Russia. Western countries have introduced a number of new anti-Russian sanctions after the start special operations in Ukraine. Many foreign companies have suspended their work in the Russian Federation. As stated in the Kremlin, Western sanctions are very serious, Russia was preparing for them in advance, they require analysis and coordination of departments in order to develop response measures that meet the interests of the Russian Federation. Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the policy of containment and weakening of Russia is a long-term strategy of the West, and sanctions have dealt a serious blow to the entire global economy. France admits failure of Western sanctions against Russia
