In this live YouTube commentary, Rob Moore reports that McDonald’s announced it will permanently leave Russia after 32 years, selling its 850 outlets. He outlines the humanitarian and economic reasons cited by the company— a “humanitarian crisis” and an “unpredictable operating environment” caused by the Russia‑Ukraine war— and discusses the potential loss of jobs for Russian workers. Moore reflects on the historical significance of McDonald’s opening in Moscow in 1990 as a symbol of Cold‑War thaw, and questions whether the withdrawal is a voluntary exit or a forced expulsion. He engages with viewer comments, raising points about health impacts, corporate responsibility, and the broader trend of Western firms pulling out of Russia. Throughout, Moore connects the corporate exit to larger geopolitical concerns, including the possibility of a prolonged war, the specter of World War III, and the need for humanity and peace. He urges viewers to share the video, stay informed, and do their part in supporting solidarity and accountability.
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So McDonald's have just announced that after 32 years, they are permanently leaving Russia. Um, they are selling 850 outlets, and McDonald's in Russia will be no more. I do think this is really big news, and I hope it's not a sign of things to come. Because obviously all these big brands pulling out of Russia, I guess, would signify a long war ahead, which hopefully we're all hoping will not happen. It was recently said that Putin is preparing for a long war. Um, the longer the war, the more it's going to cost us for decades to come. I'm trying to do my bit by regularly posting these lives, of the things that are going on in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and hopefully speaking out. I don't know what it's going to do. All we can do is keep doing our bit. I want to thank you for watching my videos. I want to thank you for sharing my videos. Um, and I just hope that this war doesn't keep going on too long. I hope it doesn't become World War III, which, let's, let's be honest, It's probably as close to World War III as we've ever been. So McDonald's— let me just give you the news update. So McDonald's has said that it will permanently, permanently leave Russia after 32 years, um, and it's already started to sell all of its restaurants. John has just said in the comments, this is all planned. How do you mean this is all planned? Uh, Ruth has said lucky Russia. Well, how many jobs though? I mean, my son— I was just talking to my son asking, um, what I should talk about on this live, and he said, what about all of those jobs that will be lost, um, in the 850, uh, outlets in, in Russia? Uh, which I thought was a really smart observation from my 11-year-old son. Um, and actually, um, the chief executive of McDonald's did say Some might argue that providing access to food and continuing to employ tens of thousands of ordinary citizens is surely the right thing to do. So this is obviously not an easy decision for McDonald's. And now Nick has just said brilliant result for Russia's adults' and children's health. I get the fact that McDonald's isn't maybe the healthiest, um, food supplier It's not healthy at all, but you want it. You're always asking for McDonald's. Um, but the, the employment that it creates, um, yeah, huge thing. So McDonald's has said it will permanently leave Russia after more than 30 years and has started to sell its restaurants. The move comes after it temporarily closed 850 outlets in March. McDonald's made the decision because of humanitarian crisis and unprecedented— sorry, unpredictable operating environment caused by the Ukraine war. Unpredictable operating environment, let's be honest, that's a little bit generic. It would have been nice to have something a little bit more specific than that. Um, now look, this is interesting. The opening of McDonald's first restaurant in Moscow in 1990 came to symbolize a thaw in Cold War tensions. A year later, the Soviet Union collapsed and Russia opened up its economy to companies from the West. And more than 3 decades later, 32 years later, um, you know, McDonald's as well as many other big corporations are pulling out. Some have said, um, did they leave or were they kicked out? Um, so now the quote from McDonald's chief executive Chris Kempinski. This is a complicated issue that's without precedent and with profound consequences. Some might argue that providing access to food and continuing to employ tens of thousands of ordinary citizens is surely the right thing to do, but it is impossible to ignore the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and it's impossible to imagine the Golden Arches representing the same hope and promise that led us to enter the Russian market 32 years ago. So some of you are saying, were McDonald's kicked out? Let me know what you think in the comments. Do you think McDonald's left, or do you think McDonald's were kicked out? Do you think they're right to leave based on the humanity— humanitarian crisis, or do you think they maybe should have stayed and provide access to food and continuing to employ tens of thousands of ordinary citizens? Whether you love McDonald's or not, it does seem really unfair on the Russian people. How many of the Russian people actually want to fight this war. But those poor people in Russia, most of them who probably don't want to fight the war, are losing all of their services, losing a lot of the corporations, losing a load of the jobs. It doesn't seem fair on them. I know many of you don't seem to have too much sympathy because McDonald's aren't a healthy business, but they are a massive employer. And how many other corporations will follow suit? And how many, um, Western or, you know, corporations will end up being left in Russia. Who knows? Let me know what you think in the comments. All I want to say to finish is we are surely more of an evolved race to be at war. Surely we should be making peace and not war. Um, people are saying that Putin is preparing for a long war. It looks like this could be as close as we'll ever get, or certainly we've ever been to World War III. How can this be? Surely we can make peace. I remember a billionaire saying to me his advice he got from someone was, if you back a rat into a corner, it will always give it a hole to exit through. If you back a rat into a corner, it always give it a hole to exit through. So I'm not saying Putin is a rat, but I'm saying you've got to give him something. He's not just going to down tools and weapons and say, oh, sorry, I made a mistake. Surely, surely we've got to do everything we can to stop this war. It just seems mad that in 2022, here we are. Humanity, what have we become? I asked a billionaire, John Cordwell, what one thing is wrong with the world that you want to change, and he said one word: humanity. Humanity is wrong with the world. We need to step up, people. We need to hold our governments to account. We need to not allow these dictators and these totalitarian and globalist regimes to have so much power. Adam said give him the finger, right? So thanks for tuning in, everyone. Please hit the share button. I'll continue to hopefully share messages of solidarity and hopefully I was going to say positivity. It's kind of difficult to be that at the moment. Um, but McDonald's will permanently leave Russia, selling all of its 850 outlets due to a humanitarian crisis and an unpredictable operating environment. That is the end of McDonald's in Russia. What do you think that means? Did they leave or were they kicked out? Um, do you know what's really going on? Please share in the comments if you think you know what's really going on. And, you know, is this the start of a mass pulling out of corporations in Russia? Doesn't really seem fair to the Russian people. I think it's often easy to forget that there's many victims there in Russia too. Thanks for tuning in. Karl said it's a plan. What is this plan? Do share this plan.
Wait, is this stars?
No, just people watching my life.
No, I mean, uh, like, is— does Facebook do stars?
Yeah, they do.
Okay, just a random question.
And remember— oh, Carla said New World Order and gameplay at control, so please do share what you think is really going on. Carol said I look stressed. I'm chill. I am stressed with what's going on in the world, I must admit that. I mean, you know, we must be careful not to let it affect our own mood, but look, you know, massive taxation, massive inflation, massive soaring cost of living crisis, wars, COVIDs, lockdowns. You know, it's not been the best 2 or 3 years for humanity, let's be honest. I hope things improve. We need to do better, people, don't we? All of us, we all need to do our bit. I'm trying to do my bit. I'm not perfect. Hope you can do your bit too by hitting the share button. Thanks for following. Thanks for tuning in. Um, Russia will be a lot healthier without McDonald's, or maybe a Russian version of McDonald's will take over, probably. Thanks for tuning in, and remember, if you don't risk anything, you risk everything.
