Le Pen Slams Putin's Seizure of Nestle, Auchan Assets in Russia
The move gives a Kremlin-appointed administrator control of assets tied to firms from countries Russia calls unfriendly, after years of sanctions pressure.
- On Thursday, September 17, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree transferring the Russian operations of Nestlé and French retailer Auchan, along with Lemana Pro and FM Logistic, to L.E.V. Management under temporary external administration.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov justified the takeover, characterizing the companies as representatives of 'unfriendly countries' actively involved in hostilities against Russia and citing sanctions imposed over Ukraine support.
- The seizure impacts Nestlé's six factories and around 7,000 employees alongside Auchan's 241 stores and over 33,000 staff, though ownership formally remains with the foreign parents while management control transfers to the state-appointed administrator.
- Nestlé said it is "assessing the situation and its options" while committed to protecting employee interests; France condemned the move late Friday, urging Moscow to reverse the decision.
- Mirroring 2023 seizures of Danone and Carlsberg that preceded forced sales to Kremlin-linked buyers, L.E.V. Management was created in late 2025 and is headed by a Russian Interior Ministry general with no prior business history.
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The Kremlin has placed the assets of Nestlé and French retail chain Auchan under state supervision in Russia, another stop in a broader wave of nationalization. The assets of both companies are owned by a Russian domestic company, L.E.V. Management was placed under temporary control by a presidential decree, CNN reported.
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