Asda, Sainsbury's, Aldi and Waitrose have pulled a number of items from their supermarket shelves this week in response to the Ukraine crisis. As Russia's invasion of the country continues, there have been repeated calls to boycott the sale of Russian goods in the UK to apply more pressure on Vladimir Putin's government to back down.
Many major supermarkets have stopped selling Russian products, with some taking more significant action than others. Tesco said it would not be removing any products from its shelves, but it will not place any further orders with Russian suppliers.
A spokesman for Tesco stated that it would no longer be “buying products from businesses that are wholly Russian-owned”. A statement from the supermarket read: “We are supporting humanitarian relief efforts through our partnerships with the Red Cross, food banks and other relief organisations to help those affected in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.” Here are all the products that have been removed from supermarkets:
Asda
Asda has confirmed it is removing all products that originate from Russia from its stores and online - around 100 items in total. Most of these are spirits, though the list also includes fish and some sweets.
Asda’s co-owner Mohsin Issa said: “We stand with our customers and colleagues who are shocked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine – and our thoughts are with those people whose lives are affected by this crisis.” On March 4, Asda and its charity, the Asda Foundation, announced a £1 million package to support displaced Ukrainian families in Europe and the UK.
Aldi
The budget-friendly retailer has said it will no longer sell Russian vodka. At the start of the month, Aldi announced that it would be making a donation to the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal.
It said in a statement: "We stand together with Aldi colleagues across the world and will be making a donation to the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal." After initially not confirming the donation amount, the supermarket confirmed it would be donating the euro equivalent of £4.2 million to established aid organisations to "ensure help reaches those that need it most".
Sainsbury's
Products Sainsbury's has removed include the Russian Standard vodka and Karpayskiye black sunflower seeds. A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “We stand united with the people of Ukraine. We have reviewed our product range and have decided to remove from sale all products that are 100% sourced from Russia."
The supermarket giant has also recently renamed its Chicken Kiev to Kyiv - the Ukranian capital - to stand with Ukraine. Customers should see the change in packaging over the next few weeks.
Co-op, Morrisons and Waitrose
The Co-op, Morrisons and Waitrose have also removed Russian vodka from their shelves. A spokesman for the Co-op said the decision to remove the sale of Russian-made vodka was "a sign of solidarity with the people of Ukraine".
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