McDonald's and Starbucks suspend business in Russia

Created: 03/08/2022Updated: 03/08/2022 10:03 p.m

The fast food chain McDonald's is temporarily closing its 850 branches in Russia.

© Jan Woitas/Zentralbild/dpa

A number of companies have already suspended their business in Russia in the wake of the Russian invasion.

Recently, the pressure on the remaining companies has increased.

Now two large chains are following suit.

Seattle/Washington - As a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the fast food chain McDonald's is closing its 850 branches in Russia until further notice.

All business there would be temporarily suspended, but the salaries of around 62,000 local employees would continue to be paid, the company said on Tuesday.

McDonald's has been in the country for more than 30 years and now has "millions of Russian customers there every day".

However, because of the company's values, "one cannot ignore the needless human suffering that is happening in Ukraine," McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said in an email to employees released by the company.

All employees in Ukraine would continue to be paid in full, he stressed.

McDonald's initially gave no information on the circumstances under which the temporary closure of the restaurants in Russia could be lifted.

In his letter, Kempczinski emphasized that McDonald's "condemns attack and violence and prays for peace."

Starbucks is following suit

The world's largest coffee chain, Starbucks, is also stopping operations in Russia in view of the Russian war of aggression.

"We have decided to suspend all business activities in Russia," announced Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson in a letter to employees on Tuesday.

The American coffee chain Starbucks wants to suspend all business activities in Russia for the time being.

© Gene J. Puskar/AP/dpa

Starbucks, McDonald's and other companies such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have come under increasing pressure in recent days because of their business in Russia.

There were calls for a boycott on the Internet, and an influential New York pension fund called on some US companies to withdraw from Russia.

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Numerous Western companies have already closed or at least temporarily suspended their business in Russia because of the war and the harsh sanctions imposed by many states against Moscow.

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