...We request an urgent dialogue regarding potential inconsistencies between Elanco’s stated policies on Russian aggression and human rights more broadly and the company’s ongoing business operations and relationships in Russia that may contribute to, or be linked with, human rights harms...

We understand that Elanco scaled back its business in Russia to providing only critical products to ensure food security and the health of animals. While medicine is not proscribed under existing sanctions, the blanket argument by pharmaceutical companies that they are providing “essential goods” has attracted criticism. Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of Yale University challenges these explanations by pharmaceutical companies by stating that the reasons are “misguided at best, cynical in the medium case, and outright deplorably misleading and deceptive.” Sonnefeld goes on to state: Russians are put in a tragic position of unearned suffering. If we continue to make life palatable for them, then we are continuing to support the regime […] These drug companies will be seen as complicit with the most vicious operation on the planet. Instead of protecting life, they are going to be seen as destroying life. The goal here is to show that Putin is not in control of all sectors of the economy.

The continuation of activities in Russia risks enabling and financing Russia’s violations of IHL and human rights law during the ongoing invasion and occupation of Ukraine and violating Elanco’s human rights commitments. It remains to be seen how directly the company will be impacted by the partial mobilisation and the heightened legal, regulatory, operational, and financial risks associated with companies being required to provide direct support to the internationally sanctioned Russian military...