On 27 April, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) denounced the measures taken by Russia against European companies operating in the country.
According to a Russian presidential decree published on 26 April, the Russian subsidiaries of Italian water heater company Ariston and German household appliance manufacturer BSH Hausgeraete have been placed under the ‘temporary external management’ of JSC Gazprom Household Systems.
“These measures, targeting legitimate economic activities, are yet another proof of Russia’s disregard for international law and rules”, the spokesperson said in a statement.
In his view, these measures confirm Russia’s status as an “unpredictable actor also in the economic field”, and have created a business climate which is arbitrary and hostile towards foreign investors.
The spokesperson called on Moscow to reverse these measures and seek acceptable solutions with European companies targeted by them. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)