McDonald’s closes restaurants in Russia over Ukraine invasion — for now, company says

All McDonald’s restaurants and other operations in Russia will close temporarily in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, the corporation announced.

“The conflict in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Europe has caused unspeakable suffering to innocent people,” a corporate news release on Tuesday, March 8, reads. “We join the world in condemning aggression and violence and praying for peace.”

McDonald’s has 850 restaurants in Russia that employ 62,000 people, who will continue to be paid, according to the company.

Netflix, LVMH, Google, Levi’s, Nike and Shell all have exited the Russian market following the invasion, increasing pressure on McDonald’s and other Western brands to follow suit, Fortune reported.

Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on three fronts early Thursday, Feb. 24, bombarding cities, towns and villages as forces advanced toward the capital of Kyiv.

The city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine has been surrounded, and Russian forces are hitting Kyiv with rockets as hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee to the west. Other nations around the world, including the United States, have enacted strict sanctions on Russia.

Ukraine, the second-largest nation in Europe by land mass, was part of the former Soviet Union until it declared independence in 1991. It is not a NATO member.

McDonald’s had faced increasing pressure to pull out of Russia following the invasion, The Washington Post reported. Several other companies have already announced they are ceasing operations in the country during the conflict.

In its news release, McDonald’s called the situation “extraordinarily challenging.”

“For 66 years, we have operated with the belief that communities are made better when there’s a McDonald’s nearby,” the release said. “At the same time, our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine.”

The company has donated $5 million to its employee assistance fund and continues to pay workers at its 108 Ukraine restaurants, which also are closed, McDonald’s said.

The company said it’s “impossible to predict” when stores in Russia might reopen, and said it expects supply chain disruptions.

Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides free housing to families of children undergoing medical treatment, will continue to operate in Russia and Ukraine.

This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 1:01 PM with the headline "McDonald’s closes restaurants in Russia over Ukraine invasion — for now, company says."