McDonald's to temporarily close its 850 stores in Russia

McDonald's has said it will temporarily close its roughly 850 restaurants in Russia.

The fast food chain said the halt was a response to the "needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine".

The company, which has had a presence in Russia for more than 30 years, said it was "impossible to predict" when it would reopen, adding that it was also experiencing supply chain issues.

McDonald's said it would continue to pay its roughly 62,000 staff in Russia.

"Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine," chief executive Chris Kempczinski said in a memo to staff that was shared publicly.

McDonald's has been under pressure as dozens of Western companies have taken steps to distance themselves from Russia.

#BoycottMcDonalds was trending on Twitter on Monday and over the weekend respectively.

McDonad's owns a majority of its stores in Russia. Combined with Ukraine, the restaurants account for about 9% of the firm's revenue and about 2% of global sales.