Photo: Pelagiya Tihonova/Anadolu Agency via Getty
McDonald’s is closing its locations across Russia temporarily amidst the country’sinvasion of Ukraine.
In a letter sent to company employees Tuesday, CEO Chris Kempczinski announced that McDonalds would “temporarily close all our restaurantsin Russia and pause all operations in the market.”
The fast food giant employs 62,000 people in Russia and currently has 850 locations in the country, according to Kempczinski.
Although he noted that McDonald’s has “become an essential part of the 850 communities in which we operate” in Russia, he added, “Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine.”
Referring to the temporary closure of hundreds of McDonald’s locations across Russia, he added, “We understand the impact this will have on our Russian colleagues and partners, which is why we are prepared to support all three legs of the stool in Ukraine and Russia. This includes salary continuation for all McDonald’s employees in Russia.”
Kempczinski did not provide a specific date for when McDonald’s would re-open its Russian locations.
“As we move forward, McDonald’s will continue to assess the situation and determine if any additional measures are required. At this juncture, it’s impossible to predict when we might be able to reopen our restaurants in Russia,” he stated. “We are experiencing disruptions to our supply chain along with other operational impacts. We will also closely monitor the humanitarian situation.”
Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty
The company’s decision to close its Russian restaurants comes as Russia’sattack on Ukrainecontinues. Russian forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24, the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.
With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyycalled for peace talks — so far unsuccessful — while urging his country to fight back.
Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy vowed not to bend. “Nobody is going to break us, we’re strong, we’re Ukrainians,“he told the European Unionin a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, “Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness.”
source: people.com
