After severe criticism, the chocolate manufacturer Ritter Sport has pledged to donate the profits from ongoing business with Russia to humanitarian aid organizations.
In a post to the “Ritter Sport Community” on Thursday, the family business announced that it strongly condemned the cruel aggression of the Russian army in Ukraine.
“In order to secure jobs and also the livelihoods of many cocoa farming families, we continue to supply chocolate to the Russian population, but have stopped all investments in Russia and our advertising for several weeks,” the statement said.
The manufacturer from the Swabian Waldenbuch (Böblingen district) had already announced that it would continue to deliver chocolate to Russia and thus received severe criticism on social networks. The Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, also commented on Twitter.
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Ritter Sport has now announced that Russia is the most important sales market after Germany. “We are aware that we will not change anyone’s mind with this. However, it is important to us to share our motives with you openly and honestly, just as you are used to from Ritter Sport,” said the company with a view to the public criticism.
A spokesman added that they were dismayed by the wave of hatred that the manufacturer was facing.
