Heineken apologizes for creating “doubt” around his departure from Russia
Dutch brewer Heineken apologized on Tuesday for creating “ambiguity” around its promise to leave Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, insisting it still plans to do so.
The group, the second largest brewer in the world behind AB InBev, said in February that it was aiming to leave Russia “in 2023”, following being accused by a Dutch investigation site of having maintained its activities there, despite the announcement in 2022 of its withdrawal following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Heineken explains that it has not yet found a buyer for its Russian operations because of the difficult conditions and for reasons of bureaucracy.
The brewer was the target of boycott calls on social networks following the revelations of the FollowTheMoney platform in February.
Although Heineken has stopped selling its namesake beer in Russia, it has approved the launch of 61 new products in the Russian market, including at least three types of beer under its Amstel brand, according to the platform.
“We recognize that we should have been clearer earlier regarding the need to introduce new products and the questions raised regarding this are understandable,” Heineken said in a statement Tuesday.
“We realize this has created ambiguity and doubt regarding our promise to leave Russia. We apologize for that,” the brewer added.
But “there is no ambiguity regarding our promise: we will leave Russia,” continued the group, which initially denied on February 22 that it had broken its promise to leave Russia.
Reiterating many of the same points on Tuesday, he said he was trying to “secure future livelihoods” for employees in Russia and “avoid nationalization” of operations, which would benefit Moscow.
“It’s hard to do a deal in Russia right now because the rules keep changing,” Heineken said.
“We fully recognize that it is frustrating that the sale has not yet been completed. We are also frustrated with the length of the process,” the brewer added.
Heineken is among major brands, including Apple, McDonald’s and others, that have announced their withdrawal from Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
