THE WHAT? Oriflame has been singled out by Kyiv’s School of Economics leave-russia.org portal for continuing to collect ‘significant profits’ from the Russian market, despite having issued a public statement about ceasing its activities in the country.

THE DETAILS A report published by the EU Reporter alleges that the Swedish direct sales firm continues to operate full-scale activities in Russia, with products sold through numerous channels, and payment collected in roubles. However, back in May, 2023, Global Cosmetics News reported that the firm had agreed the sale of its assets in Russia. The most recent post on Oriflame’s official Russian Instagram account is dated March 2022.

THE WHY? The EU Reporter highlights the dilemma facing western firms – does commercial interest trump morals? However, it’s worth pointing out that morals and commercial interest aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive; for some firms, being ‘cancelled’ in the west would lead to greater losses than withdrawing from a morally dubious market.