Consumer giants including McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Starbucks have joined the list of firms halting business in Russia due to the invasion in Ukraine.
McDonald’s said it was temporarily closing its roughly 850 restaurants in Russia, while Starbucks also said its 100 coffee shops would shut.
McDonald’s said there was “needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine”, and Coca-Cola called the war “tragic”.
All three firms said they would continue to pay their staff.
McDonald’s chief executive Chris Kempczinski said in a memo to staff: “The conflict in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Europe has caused unspeakable suffering to innocent people.” The company said it was “impossible to predict” when it would reopen.
“As a system, we join the world in condemning aggression and violence and praying for peace.”
Companies have been under pressure to act as Russian violence against civilians has escalated.
#BoycottMcDonalds and #BoycottCocaCola had been trending on Twitter on Monday and over the weekend respectively.
Dozens of well-known firms including Netflix and Levi’s have already suspended sales or stopped providing services in Russia amid severe sanctions imposed by Western allies.
McDonald’s established its presence in Moscow in 1990, as the Soviet Union was opening its economy, drawing thousands for its burgers and fries.
As tensions with the West increased in 2014 over Russia’s annexation of Crimea, some of its restaurants were shut as part of an investigation into food standards, which many saw as politically motivated.
The closure now likewise carries symbolic weight, and is likely to influence other firms.
Source: BBC
