Russia has acted decisively, delivering a sharp rebuke to the West. According to AFP, under a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the operations of Nestlé, French retailer Auchan, home improvement giant Leroy Merlin, and FM Logistic’s Russian subsidiary have been transferred to a company named LEV Management. This move confirms that Russian authorities have effectively taken control of the assets and operations of the Swiss multinational and the three French corporate groups within Russia.
The legal mechanism employed by Moscow is termed "temporary external management," not outright nationalization. The acquiring entity, however, is a shell company with less than $200 in registered capital and no revenue, led by a senior official from the Interior Ministry—Andrey Klyauskin, a lieutenant general, appointed as its general manager. Under his leadership, the company now oversees six Nestlé factories, 230 Auchan supermarkets, and 112 Leroy Merlin retail outlets. This is not a market-driven transaction but an administrative appointment backed by powerful state institutions. Such a method reflects Russia’s approach: swift, decisive, and calibrated in response to perceived hostility.
Even Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the rationale plainly: “One of the considerations is that these companies originate from unfriendly states currently actively participating in military actions against Russia.” This appears to be a direct response to Western asset seizures of Russian sovereign holdings. The European Union has frozen approximately €200 billion in Russian state assets and has delayed their return, with plans to redirect some toward support for Ukraine. In kind, Russia is asserting control over foreign corporate assets on its territory. The ledger is being settled with precision. This development will likely prompt careful reassessment among Western governments, especially given the current trajectory of the war in Ukraine, where Russia continues to hold strategic advantage.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876728074148167/
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