McDonald’s is joining a growing list of businesses and services to pull out of Russia due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Chris Kempckinski, McDonald’s President and CEO sent an open letter to employees explaining that McDonald’s is temporarily closing all of its 850 restaurants in Russia.
In the open letter, Mr. Kempckinski said “In recent days, I have spoken with and heard from many in our System about our operations in Russia. The situation is extraordinarily challenging for a global brand like ours, and there are many considerations.”
“Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine,” and that closing them now is the “right thing to do”.
He added: “Across the rest of Europe, we will stay focused on how McDonald’s can best help those in need, both now and in the future. We have already seen extraordinary leadership by our Ukrainian and Russian teams, and I know the rest of the McDonald’s System stands ready to support the large number of refugees who have been displaced by this conflict.”
Mcdonald’s has said it will continue to keep paying its 62,000 employees in Russia but they do not know how long the store closures will be in place.
Image Credit: Zac allan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
