Nestle withdraws KitKat and Nesquik from Russia.

Swiss food giant Nestle pulled its famous brand from Russia but continues to sell staples. Earlier this month, the company stopped investing in the country but has stopped selling brands like KitKat and Nesquik.

Ukrainian politicians heavily criticized the company. A growing number of western brands have ceased operations in Russia in protest of the war, but some remain. "While the war in Ukraine rages on, our operations in Russia will be focused on providing necessities, not profits," Nestlé said.

"We fully comply with all international sanctions against Russia," he added. Addressing protesters on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Nestle for still doing business in Russia.

Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Schmihal tweeted that Nestle CEO Mark Schneider "shows no understanding." He wrote: "Paying taxes to the state budget of terrorists means killing defenseless children and mothers. We hope Nestlé changes its mind soon."

This led to the #BoycottNestle trend on Twitter. The company has gradually scaled back its operations in Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine but is under pressure to withdraw completely.

He removed advertising and capital investment and earlier this month stopped shipping non-essential products like Nespresso coffee pods and San Pellegrino water. But he continues to sell many of his brands, saying, "We are responsible for our more than 7,000 employees in Russia - most of whom are local."

Only baby food medical and hospital food will be sold as a final step. "While we do not expect to make profits or pay related taxes in Russia shortly, all profits will be donated to humanitarian organizations," the statement said.

"We were there with the people in Ukraine and our 5,800 employees."

So far, international brands such as McDonald's, cosmetics group L'Oreal, fashion retailer H&M and tech giant Apple have suspended or restricted their operations in Russia. Others continue to produce necessities in the country, while companies such as M&S and Burger King say complex franchise agreements make it impossible to close their stores in Russia.