McDonald's to sell its Russian business after more than three decades

Without naming a prospective Russian buyer, McDonald's said on Monday that it would seek one to hire its workers and pay them until the sale closes.

More than three decades after it became the first American fast food restaurant to open in the Soviet Union, McDonald’s said on Monday that it has started the process of selling its business in Russia, another symbol of the country’s increasing isolation over its war in Ukraine.

The company, which has 850 restaurants in Russia and employs 62,000 people, pointed to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war, saying holding on to its business in Russia “is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values”. The Chicago-based fast food giant said in early March that it was temporarily