NEW YORK (Reuters) – Starbucks said on Tuesday it was closing its cafes and suspending all operations in Russia, while Coca-Cola and Pepsi announced temporary halts to sales of their drinks in the country, decisions arising from the invasion of Ukraine.
Many Western groups have taken a similar stance, including McDonald’s, a strong symbol as the fast-food giant became a beacon of flourishing American capitalism after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Pepsi, whose sodas were among the few Western products allowed in the Soviet Union before the fall of the latter, has indicated that it will continue to sell in Russia its basic necessities, such as milk.
Starbucks said Alshaya, a Kuwait-based firm that operates more than 100 of the group’s cafes in Russia, would support some “2,000 partners in Russia who depend on Starbucks to survive.”
Coca-Cola said its operations in Russia and Ukraine contributed about 1%-2% of its operating income last year.
(Reporting Hilary Russ in New York and Uday Sampath in Bangalore; French version Jean Terzian)
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