People's Deputy Mykola Knyazhytsky called on the Prime Minister of Poland to introduce tax sanctions in the country against Philip Morris. This may affect its exit from the Russian market

This is stated, in particular, in the appeal of the People's Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Mykola Knyazhytsky to the Prime Minister of Poland and the Parliament of Poland, writes Espreso.TV.

The letter is called "Polish Friends". In it, Knyazhytsky calls for increased pressure on international companies operating in the Russian Federation.

The appeal was addressed to Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, 460 Polish deputies and 100 senators.

"I appeal to the Polish political class and Polish society to express their strong opposition to international corporations such as Philip Morris, Leroy Merlin or Nestle, which did not consider Russia's brutal aggression against Ukraine as a sufficient argument to stop their economic activity in Russia", writes MP Mykola Knyazhytsky, co-chair of the Ukrainian-Polish parliamentary group.

"I also ask the legislative and executive authorities to take tough and decisive action that will affect the international corporations that continue to cooperate and finance Putin's Russia", he urges.

Deputy Mykola Knyazhytsky pays special attention to the Philip Morris concern, which is the largest foreign company operating in Russia. Every year it pays hundreds of billions of rubles in taxes and contributions to the Russian budget.  According to Ukrainian Truth, for the $4.8 billion paid by this company in 2020 to the Russian budget, it could buy 68 Iskander-M missile systems.

"Despite the Russian invasion of our country, Philip Morris did not leave the local market, but limited itself to only symbolic actions in front of the public", says Mykola Knyazhytsky.

On March 24, Philip Morris announced the cancellation of the launch of the new IQOS ILUMA tobacco heater in Russia planned for this year and the production of a new line of tobacco stacks at Russian factories.  However, the company continues to make money in Russia and continues to pay billions in taxes, which Russia spends on further militarization.

"Canceling the launch of a new tobacco heater is definitely not enough in a situation where women and children in Ukraine are being killed by Russian bombs. Poland has the tools to effectively force Philip Morris out of Russia entirely", Knyazhytsky said.

The Ukrainian MP appreciated the statement of the Polish government that it intends to impose tax sanctions on companies that have not left the Russian market. He considers this a step in the right direction, but points out that we need to go further. The funds that will go to the Polish budget on this account can be directed, in particular, to humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

"The announced sanctions should be the toughest for companies operating in a regulated market, such as the aforementioned Philip Morris. According to media reports, representatives of this company are in constant dialogue with Polish politicians, and the tax legislation in force in Poland is assessed as very favorable for products sold by the company. It is on such entities that the Polish government can exert the most effective and simple pressure using tax instruments, for example, by excise duty on their flagship products," writes Knyazhytsky.

"Let's put Philip Morris before a clear choice: complete exit from the Russian market and preserve its reputation, or stay on it, but at the cost of additional deductions to the victims of the Kremlin's aggression".