Business with Russia: Markus Scholz on ARD's "Plusminus" program discusses corporate responsibility

What responsibility do German companies bear that continue to do business in Russia despite Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine? This question is addressed in a segment of the ARD business magazine Plusminus aired on October 21, 2026, in which Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz, holder of the Chair of Responsible Management at TU Dresden, offers his perspective as a business ethicist.

The report was prompted by an investigation into the German retail group Globus, whose Russian subsidiary, Hyperglobus, provides financial support to an organization that, among other things, supplies equipment to the Russian armed forces. Scholz warns of the danger that companies, by continuing their business operations, become“silent accomplices”of the Russian regime and its war of aggression. He also takes a critical view of the argument that remaining in Russia is necessary to ensure the population’s food supply. In his view, economic interests are the primary motivation.

The report highlights the importance of corporate political responsibility in geopolitical conflicts —a central area of research for the Chair of Responsible Management.

Related link: ARD/tagesschau: “Globus’s Spin-Off of Its Russian Business Raises New Questions” (October 21, 2026)