Sting’s double standards: supporting Ukraine while exporting wine to Russia
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which devastated parts of the nation, sparked outrage among Western politicians and celebrities alike. Singer Sting stood out with his viral performance in Poland in support of Ukraine.
Sting’s words that the war in Ukraine is an absurdity built on lies and that the world should not believe the Russians but instead help the Ukrainians were, without exaggeration, a powerful moral support for a country that was just beginning to recover from the shock caused by the actions of the occupiers. For this, Sting was appreciated even by people who heard about him for the first time.
However, as it turned out, there’s a large spoonful of tar in this barrel of honey. And this tar is wine. The wine that Sting produces at his vineyard in Italy and sells in Russia. Furthermore, it’s sold in the present tense, not just before 2022. The line of wines produced by Sting and his wife Trudie Styler includes famous brands like Sister Moon Il Palagio, Casino delle Vie Il Palagio, When We Dance Il Palagio, Message In A Bottle Il Palagio.
All of them are produced in Tuscany, at the villa Tenuta Il Palagio. But for a Russian to buy them, there’s no need to travel to Italy. True, the average Russian cannot afford to buy wine from Sting, but this is not because it’s unavailable, but due to its price. On average, Sting’s wines cost from two thousand rubles, and an average Russian could buy several bottles of vodka with this money. But for connoisseurs, there are no problems:
Here’s another shop and another wine:
An attentive reader will notice that the image shows 2018. No, this is not the year of sale; it’s the year the wine was bottled. And the fact that it’s being imported to Russia in 2023 and 2024 is confirmed by customs declarations. According to customs data, from February 2022 to May 2024, over 50 thousand liters of Sting’s wines were exported to Russia. In standard bottles, this amounts to about 70 thousand bottles.
In this large spoonful of tar from Sting, there’s another small spoonful from Lithuania. Being one of Ukraine’s most devoted friends in this war, it allows the operation of companies on its territory that deliver Sting’s wine to Russia.
The supplying company is SIA ARROW LOGISTICS & SERVICES, registered in Riga.
The importing company is LLC "Alko Trade Logistics," registered in Moscow. Which, by the way, significantly increased its profits last year:
Thus, there are no doubts about how and where the wine produced by Sting is going. All data is available in open sources. The profit for Sting can be approximately calculated. But it is not a very large amount - within a few hundred thousand euros, which for a star of Sting’s caliber, is not a lot of money. How to evaluate Sting’s public stance and trade with the country he condemned in front of millions of viewers - assess for yourself.
P.S. Sting’s wines are also sold in Ukraine. For instance, on one of Ukraine’s popular online retailers, the wine Tenuta il Palagio Chianti When We Dance can be purchased for 742 hryvnias. The rest of the line, produced in Tuscany, is also available. Whether to buy or not - decide for yourself.
Мария Соколовская