Two years after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Coca-Cola and other multinationals that had announced their withdrawal from Russia are still active there. Products from these companies continue to arrive in Russia, often via third countries such as Kazakhstan or Georgia, which rely on a Russian law allowing parallel imports without the agreement of brand owners.
Although Coca-Cola has officially ceased production in Russia, its local bottler has launched domestic variants such as "Dobro Cola", which is now the most popular soft drink on the market. Coca-Cola owns 20% of this bottler, but seems to have little influence on local production. Pepsi also maintains its presence with local brands.
These brands, once symbols of Russia's openness to the West, retain ties that would enable them to reintroduce their classic products if the situation changes. Despite international sanctions, the impact on the presence of Western consumer brands in Russia seems limited, reflecting the complexity of disengaging completely from the Russian market.
Bloomberg TV provided by MT Newswires
