Starbucks to quit Russia

Starbucks is leaving Russia after 15 years, becoming the latest Western corporation to leave the country following the conflict in Ukraine. After suspending operations in Russia in March, the coffee chain will now exit the country entirely. It stated that it would continue to pay nearly 2,000 employees working at its stores in the country for the next six months.

Starbucks joins McDonald's and Renault in permanently leaving the country. The United States and its Western allies responded to the war by slamming Russia with broad economic sanctions aimed at economically isolating it and cutting it off from the global financial system. Western companies find it difficult to operate there due to the rules.

Starbucks first entered Russia in 2007 and has since expanded to 130 licenced coffee shops. In March, the company ceased shipments to Russia. It stated that it had "decided to exit and no longer have a brand presence in the market." It did not provide financial details, but stated that it would assist its employees "to transition to new opportunities outside of Starbucks."

The Starbucks stores are owned and operated by the Kuwait-based Alshaya Group, which said the decision to leave was a "Starbucks announcement" and referred questions to the coffee chain. It did not specify whether it planned to sell its stores or reopen under a new name.