Western companies that maintain a presence in Russia to provide essential goods such as food and medicines are trying to strike a balance between President Vladimir Putin's government and advocates of Ukraine pulling them in opposite directions.

More than 400 companies have withdrawn from Russia since the launch of its attack on Ukraine on Feb. 24, according to a list compiled by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management. They have left behind assets that were worth hundreds of billions of dollars in aggregate before the invasion, which Russia calls a "special military operation."

Yet about 80 companies have retained a presence, even as they suspended new investments and business ventures. Many are consumer and pharmaceutical companies that argue that pulling out would significantly harm the Russian population. Some are also concerned about legal repercussions for their employees in the country should the Russian government retaliate.