Domino’s Pizza suspends investment in Russia, McDonald’s may return, and Leroy Merlin is ready to expand its assortment

Domino’s Pizza, a chain of pizzerias, against the backdrop of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine and subsequent anti-Russian sanctions by Western countries, decided to suspend investments in Russia.

At the same time, the company clarified, work continues in all 188 restaurants of the network in the Russian Federation, RIA Novosti reports.

Earlier, hundreds of foreign firms, reacting to the events in Ukraine and the sanctions of Western countries against the Russian Federation, announced a temporary “withdrawal” from the Russian market.

Meanwhile, the American McDonald’s, the world’s largest chain of fast food restaurants, which announced the suspension of its establishments in Russia since March 14, could “return” to Russia in a month and a half. This was stated today by a source of the TASS agency.

Meanwhile, the Leroy Merlin hypermarket, which previously announced that it would remain operating in Russia, is already considering the possibility of increasing supplies and expanding the product range on the DIY market, PRIME emphasizes.

Recall that on February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), and on February 24 he made an emergency appeal to the Russians and announced a special military operation in Donbass. In his speech, he stated that “circumstances require decisive action from Russia” and stressed that “Russia will not allow Ukraine to have nuclear weapons.”

In response to Russia’s actions, Western countries (USA, Canada, European Union, Great Britain, Japan) announced new, tougher sanctions against the Russian Federation, including financial and economic ones.

In particular, Russian banks fell under the sanctions, including Sberbank, VTB, Novikombank, FC Otkritie and Sovcombank, and for a number of state-owned companies it was difficult to attract foreign capital.

Later, the EU countries and the United States agreed to disconnect Russian banks that fell under sanctions from the international system of interbank transactions and information exchange SWIFT. In addition, it was decided to freeze the assets of the Bank of Russia, which will create difficulties for its use of international reserves. EU countries also pledged to take steps to limit the sale of citizenship — the so-called “golden passports” that allow wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government to become citizens of EU states and gain access to their financial systems. In addition, the European Union, the United States, Canada and a number of other countries have closed the sky for Russian aircraft.

You can follow the chronicle of events around Ukraine here.