The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) has included Metro Cash&Carry in the list of international sponsors of the war, the agency's press service has reported.

As noted in the press release, the decision was made due to the position of the company's management to continue operations in Russia. In addition to the retail business, the interests of the management of Metro Cash & Carry are closely related to the strategic sectors of the Russian economy: oil and gas and banking.

So, according to the results of journalistic investigations, it became known that the major shareholder of Metro Cash & Carry, Daniel Křetínský, controls EP Infrastructure (EPIF), which owns 49% of Eustream. This company operates a gas transmission system that transports Russian gas to Central and Eastern Europe.

"While the entire civilized world is refusing the energy resources of the terrorist state, the leadership of Metro Cash & Carry demonstrates that cooperation with the Russian Federation will not only not be terminated but will only intensify in the future. It is evidenced by the recognition of payment by Mir cards (a Sberbank project) acceptable by Metro Cash & Carry and the implementation of new projects in Russia, such as Fasol, a network of grocery stores near the house.

Also, those who studied Metro Cash & Carry activities in Russia draw attention to the company's participation in "ideological" Russian initiatives. In particular, at the end of last year, information that the German METRO network in Russia was selling "Wagner sledgehammers," "attributes" of mercenaries from the terrorist PMC Wagner, which gained conditional popularity in Russia after the publication of cruel videos, was circulating on the Internet. Obviously, in this way, the management of the trading network demonstrates maximum loyalty to the regime of the aggressor country.

Previously, NACP has already included the following companies in the list of international sponsors of the war: Procter & Gamble, OpenWay Group, Danieli, TMS Tankers Ltd., Minerva Marine Inc., Thenamaris Ships Management, Delta Tankers Ltd., Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd. Mondi PLC, eKassir, Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry, and Bonduelle. Recently, the French corporation Auchan Holding was added here.

All companies included in this list are included in the World-Check Risk Intelligence database from the London Stock Exchange Group to protect the financial sector from the sponsors of the Russian war.

The role of the NACP in the sanctions policy is defined in the roadmap for individual sanctions developed by the Stanford International Working Group on Russian Sanctions.