The latest multinational corporation to join the chorus of anti-Russia hatred and racism is Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which just announced that it will no longer sell any personal care products in the former Soviet Union due to President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Pharmaceuticals and medical devices made by the company will still flow freely in and out of Russia because those are excluded from Western sanctions. Products like J&J's cancer-causing baby powder, on the other hand, are now banned.
Roughly 1 percent of J&J's sales come from Russia, and about half of that constitutes pharmaceuticals. The other half is made up of consumer health products, including over-the-counter drugs and other related items.
"J&J is one of the biggest drugmakers in the world and also has a sizeable consumer health business that sells skin care, beauty, and oral care products under brands including Neutrogena, Aveeno, and Listerine," reported The Epoch Times.
"AbbVie, which owns blockbuster wrinkle treatment Botox, said earlier this month it had temporarily suspended operations for all its aesthetics products in Russia."
J&J stops enrolling Russians in clinical trials in show of support for Ukraine
Many Western-based multinationals are making similar moves in "solidarity" with Ukraine, including PepsiCo Inc., Procter & Gamble Co. and Nestle SA, which will continue supplying only basic items like nutrition and hygiene to Russia.
J&J has also reportedly stopped enrolling Russians in its Russia-based clinical trials in order to take a stand against Putin and show support for Ukraine.
Other drugmakers such as Eli Lilly and Co. and Pfizer are following suit by pulling back investments and promotions in Russia. They will also continue selling drugs and medical equipment there, however, as these are major cash cows for Big Pharma.
None of this is enough for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, who urged all of Big Pharma to withdraw from Russia completely.
If it looks Russian or sounds Russian, in other words, Zelenskyy and his allies want it cut off from the rest of the world. No more international trade with Russia will be allowed if Zelenskyy gets his way, essentially.
"J&J stops selling ... lucky Russia," wrote someone at The Epoch Times about how J&J's consumer products withdrawal from Russia is almost certainly a good thing for the Russian people, who will no longer be poisoned by its toxic products.
"Russia is starting to look more and more like a resort for people to recover their physical and mental health – no fast food, no soft drinks, no Big Pharma, no woke social media," wrote another, pointing to all the junk food corporations and other toxic Western companies that no longer have a presence in Russia.
"And no Western propaganda," added another.
Many other commenters echoed these sentiments, including one person who says he continues to feel as though Russians are getting the better end of the deal with all of these sanctions.
"Literally everybody that's trying to kill them is not going to Russia anymore to do business," this person wrote about how great it is that toxic consumer products from the United States are no longer flowing into Russia.
"No ovarian cancer for women using J&J baby powder in Russia ... take that, Putin!" joked another.
"And the sunscreens," added someone else. "Aveeno and Neutrogena both got pulled for cancer-causing chemicals last year."
Another person pointed out how even if these products were safe, depriving the Russian people of access to them only punishes them, not Putin or Russia's government.
"The U.S. is just as atrocious," this person wrote about how America is hardly any better than Russia when it comes to honesty and integrity.
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