Putin targets Nestle's Russian business as Kremlin tightens grip on Western assets

Swiss food giant Nestle said Friday it's weighing its options after the Kremlin moved to place the Russian assets of its business under temporary external administration, as part of a renewed push against Western businesses still operating in the country amid the Ukraine war . The maker of Nescafé coffee and KitKat chocolate bars said that it took note of the Russian presidential decree, which was published on the country's official legal portal on Thursday, and is "assessing the situation." Russian President Vladimir Putin 's surprise move is widely regarded as the first step toward passing the assets into the hands of Kremlin-friendly investors.