The team in Ukraine consists exclusively of local employees, according to the Düsseldorf retail group Metro, which operates 26 stores in the country. The situation is being followed closely. For the currently around 3,400 employees on site, measures to ensure safety are “prepared and implemented,” says a company spokesman. In general, the company, which is also active in Russia, sees itself exposed to considerable risks in the conflict. “A military escalation might have an impact on the overall economic situation in Ukraine, which might directly or indirectly affect Metro’s business and infrastructure,” says a spokesman, adding: “We continue to hope for a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Ukraine interest of our customers and employees in Ukraine.”
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A spokesman for the building materials group Knauf, which has been running a plasterboard factory in Donbass since 2006, sounds very similar. Knauf does not currently employ any German nationals in Ukraine. However, the business in the Ukraine is important for Knauf. “We hope,” says the company spokesman, “that a diplomatic solution will be found to avoid a military conflict.”
