"The humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and the resulting unpredictable economic environment led McDonald's to conclude that the continuation of our operations in Russia was no longer tenable or consistent with our values", indicated the American giant in a statement.

The company announced on March 8 the temporary closure of all its restaurants and the suspension of its operations in the country, following in the footsteps of other multinationals which had distanced themselves from Moscow.

Like other brands that are symbols of American culture around the world, such as Coca-Cola or Starbucks, the fast-food chain was then the subject of a boycott call on social networks.

"We are committed to our global community and must remain adamant about our values," Group CEO Chris Kempczinski said in the statement.

"Respecting our values ​​means that we can no longer keep the Arches (McDonald's logo, editor's note)" in Russia, he added.

Present in Russia for more than 30 years, McDonald's has approximately 850 restaurants and 62,000 employees.

The group estimates that it will record a charge of between 1.2 billion and 1.4 billion dollars due to its withdrawal from the country.

Russia, where McDonald's directly manages more than 80% of the restaurants bearing its name, accounts for 9% of the company's total revenue and 3% of its operating profit.

McDonald's located a stone's throw from the Kremlin, in Moscow, March 10, 2022 - AFP / Archives

The group is seeking to resell its entire Russian portfolio to a local player, but has not yet given the name of a buyer.

Anyone who takes over the activity will not be able to use the name, logo or menus of McDonald's.

Until a transaction is finalized, the company agrees to continue paying its employees and wants to ensure that they continue to be hired by the future acquirer.

- "New era"-

McDonald's opened its first restaurant in January 1990 in Moscow, just under two years before the collapse of the USSR.

“After nearly half a century of Cold War animosity, the image of the Golden Arches beaming over Pushkin Square represented for many on both sides of the Iron Curtain the beginning of a new era," Kempczinski described in a letter to the entire McDonald's community.

It was then a major event for the Soviets in full turmoil under perestroika.

The group expanded in the following years and decades to several other Russian cities, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok via Saint Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod.

"McDonald's and Russia have become so intertwined that it seems impossible to imagine one without the other," Kempczinski summed up.

"And yet, unfortunately, that's where we've come to today."

A closed McDonald's in Moscow, March 16, 2022 - AFP/Archives

Like many other Western businesses, the restaurateur decided to withdraw from the country, citing in addition to humanitarian considerations and condemnation of Russian military actions, the increasing difficulty of operating the business normally.

French automaker Renault ceded its assets to Russia on Monday, namely its majority stake in the group that manufactures Lada cars, marking the first major nationalization since the start of the Ukrainian conflict.

Mr. Kempczinski assured that the departure of McDonald's from Russia "was not an easy decision and will not be easy to implement given the size of our business and the current difficulties of operating in Russia".

However, he confirmed that the group would not reconsider his choice.

© 2022 AFP