McDonald's Closes All Restaurants in Russia

We will be temporarily closing all restaurants and pausing all operations in Russia. Click to read the message from our CEO in its entirety: https://t.co/ncoB2A8GC6

— McDonald's (@McDonalds) March 8, 2022

From McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski:

In Russia, we employ 62,000 people who have poured their heart and soul into our McDonald’s brand to serve their communities. We work with hundreds of local, Russian suppliers and partners who produce the food for our menu and support our brand. And we serve millions of Russian customers each day who count on McDonald’s. In the thirty-plus years that McDonald’s has operated in Russia, we’ve become an essential part of the 850 communities in which we operate.

At the same time, our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine. Years ago, when confronted with his own difficult decision, Fred Turner explained his approach quite simply: “Do the right thing.” That philosophy is enshrined as one of our five guiding values, and there are countless examples over the years of McDonald’s Corporation living up to Fred’s simple ideal. Today, is also one of those days.

Working closely in consultation with our Chairman, Rick Hernandez, and the rest of McDonald’s Board of Directors over the last week, McDonald’s has decided to temporarily close all our restaurants in Russia and pause all operations in the market. 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.

Even though McDonald's will close all restaurants and operations in Russia TEMPORARILY, all McDonald's employees in Russia will continue to be paid.

It's clear that McDonald's is very concerned about remaining on good terms with Russia.

If McDonald's truly believes in "doing the right thing," it should close its thousands of restaurants in China.