McDonald's is withdrawing from Crimea

McDonald's U.S. group announced on Friday that they are suspending work at the restaurants in Crimea, citing problems with the production chain, shortly after another western company stopped operations in March in the peninsula attached to the Russian Federation.

The annexation of Crimea by Russia, officially unrecognized by the new government in Ukraine or by the U.S. and allied countries, is a concern for corporations doing business in the Black Sea region.

McDonald's, which operates three restaurants in the Crimean Peninsula, said it hopes to resume activities as soon as possible.

But the company offered the opportunity to the Crimean employees to transfer to the restaurants in Ukraine, suggesting that the group does not anticipate reopening the peninsula units in the near future.

"The company provides all employees the opportunity to transfer to any other restaurant in Ukraine, the same functions, the same salary and commissions, the cost of relocating their families will be covered by McDonald's", is written in one of the restaurant chains' press release.

The Universal Postal Company, registered in Geneva, which is part of Deutsche Post announced that it no longer accepts letters having Crimean recipients because the ability to make deliveries in the region is not guaranteed.