‘Won’t roll out red carpet for McDonald’s’: Putin on possible return of fast food giant in Russia
&w=752&h=564&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Won’t roll out red carpet for McDonald’s’: Putin on possible return of fast food giant in Russia")
McDonald’s exited Russia in 2022 after Western sanctions were imposed on the country over the war in Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin said that Russia will not “roll out the red carpet” for McDonald’s if it decides to return to the country during a meeting with business leaders in the Kremlin, news agency TASS reported.
The fast food giant exited Russia in 2022 after Western sanctions were imposed on the country over the war in Ukraine. The company’s operations were sold to a Russian investor, entrepreneur Alexander Govor, who had been a franchise partner since 2015 and managed 25 restaurants across Siberia.
In a conversation with Oleg Paroyev, the CEO of the Russian fast-food chain Vkusno I Tochka (which translates to Tasty and That's It), Putin said, “They [McDonald's] put everyone in a difficult position, ran away, and now, if they want to come back, are we supposed to roll out the red carpet for them? Of course not. I have talked with colleagues, and I have already tasked the government with working out a framework for the possible return of companies wishing to re-enter the Russian market — calmly and without any hostility, taking into account that the most important thing is to protect the interests of our businesses.”
Referring to McDonald’s, Putin also asked Paroyev whether his “not-so-conscientious partners” had the right to buy back the company. After receiving an affirmative reply, he added, “Remember that old joke? Only chumps settle up. It's the same thing here.”
The Russian president further said, “There can’t even be any doubts about this. Together with you, we will work through everything, think it through, down to the last detail. But only to our advantage.”
Recalling large companies in other sectors that have already addressed him, Putin said that foreign partners have hinted that they want to re-enter Russia.
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“I replied - let them come back but make sure it’s on your terms. If it is advantageous for you, let them return. If it works for you, go ahead, if not, we’ll make it so it does. That’s it,” Putin said.