Russia Goes Without Coca! McDonald’s, Coca-Cola And Starbucks Halt Russian Operations
Moscow, March 9: McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Starbucks have joined the increasing list of firms which are halting their business in Russia due to the latter’s invasion in Ukraine, BBC reported on Wednesday. McDonald’s announced that it was temporarily closing its roughly 850 restaurants in Russia, while Starbucks said that it was shutting down its 100 coffee shops across the country. McDonald’s said their move was a prompted by the “needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine” caused as a result of the Russian invasion of that country, expressing ambiguity as to when or if they will be able to resume operations in Russia.
However, McDonald’s said it would continue to pay its roughly 62,000 staff in Russia even as it faced supply chain issues there. McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and other companies have come under increasing pressure to act as Russian violence against civilians in Ukraine has escalated. Apart from these dozens of well-known firms including Netflix and Levi’s have already suspended sales or stopped providing services in Russia. McDonald’s started operations in Moscow in 1990, as the Soviet Union was opening its economy, drawing thousands for its burgers and fries. The closure of these well known firms is likely to carry symbolic weight, and is expected to influence other firms to take similar action.
