US fast food chain McDonald’s is temporarily shutting down its operations in Crimea after the region was annexed by Russia.
In a statement posted on McDonald’s Ukraine Facebook page, the company said:
Due to manufacturing reasons independent of McDonalds, activity in facilities located in Simferopol, Sevastopol, and Yalta have been suspended.
The uncertainty that has forced McDonald’s to close is representative of the issues facing a number of Western companies that have operations in Russian territories as relations between Russia and the US and EU continue to sour.
Both the US and EU have imposed sanctions on specific individuals close to Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to Moscow’s actions in Crimea and continued military build up on the Ukrainian border. Further wide-ranging sanctions have also been threatened, which could conflict with the interests of those doing business in the region.
McDonald’s has promised to help workers in its restaurants in Crimea by offering them similar roles in its Ukrainian restaurants along with relocation costs for their families.
