DETROIT — McDonald’s is temporarily closing all of its 850 restaurants in Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, however, the chain will continue paying its 62,000 employees.
In addition, McDonald’s has continued to pay full salaries for its Ukrainian employees, donated $5 million to its Employee Assistance Fund and supported relief efforts led by the International Red Cross. A Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Poland Care Mobile is at the Poland-Ukrainian border to provide medical care and humanitarian aid for families and children, with an additional Care Mobile on the way from RMHC Latvia.
“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,” says Chris Kempczinski, CEO of McDonald’s. “As we move forward, McDonald’s will continue to assess the situation and determine if any additional measures are required. At this juncture, it’s impossible to predict when we might be able to re-open our restaurants in Russia. We are experiencing disruptions to our supply chain along with other operational impacts. We will also closely monitor the humanitarian situation.”
