俄羅斯已經展開了對數十家麥當勞餐廳調查，很大程度上像是針對西方關于烏克蘭問題對其經濟制裁的回應報復。


俄羅斯的食品安全監管機構稱，麥當勞當前可能違反衛生規定，已關閉其在莫斯科四家店。

但商界許多聲音表示，這是俄羅斯和西方就烏克蘭問題惡化的反應，在烏克蘭親俄分裂勢力仍在政府軍作對。

在另一項行動中，維珍創始人理查德·布蘭森爵士呼吁“和平解決”烏克蘭危機，并由來自俄羅斯，烏克蘭和西方其他商業和文化界主要人士聯名簽署了公開信。

聯合利華首席執行官保羅·波爾曼，諾貝爾經濟學獎得主穆罕默德·尤努斯，PayPal合作創始人馬克斯和前eBay總裁杰夫·斯科爾加入理查德爵士的倡議活動，呼吁“以談話形式，而不是武裝沖突來解決問題”，雙邊要考慮到俄羅斯和西方之間的長期對峙對商貿的影響。

俄羅斯對麥當勞的舉動引起來美國商界領袖驚慌。在俄羅斯的美國商會首席執行官亞歷克西斯Rodzianko說：“顯然，這是由周圍烏克蘭的政治問題所引發的，我在想：這僅僅是一次震懾，還是預示著下次運動的開始？

法國興業銀行在一份致客戶提示中警告說，在俄羅斯的那些大的外企最容易受到政治風波的影響，包括英美煙草公司，德國巴斯夫嘉士伯，可口可樂，阿爾斯通與E.ON公司。

本月早些時候，華盛頓和布魯塞爾對莫斯科烏克蘭吞并克里米亞地區和支持分裂勢力的舉措進行經濟制裁，其后俄羅斯對西方食品進口實行禁令。

俄羅斯的食品安全監管機構正在加緊對麥當勞的監管，包括斯維爾德洛夫斯克州和韃靼斯坦的烏拉爾，中央沃羅涅日地區和首都周邊地區的不定期檢查。 “我們一直知道是怎么回事，現在我們配合他們任何檢查”，麥當勞的俄羅斯女發言人說。

路透社說沒有收到其他西方著名品牌將被調查的消息，但據俄媒體報道，目前杰克·丹尼爾斯正在調查。威士忌生產商表示，將挑戰有關其質量問題的任何指控。

AmRest是星巴克，肯德基，必勝客和漢堡王俄羅斯專營權持有者，他上周表示，他下邊的這些品牌做得很好，被認定沒有問題什么。

布蘭森說道：“作為負責任的領導者，我們必須在尊重彼此主權和人權的基礎上通過對話和外交和平解決矛盾。

“作為來自俄羅斯，烏克蘭和世界各地的企業領導人我們要敦促政府共同努力，以避免重蹈冷戰覆轍。我們呼吁政治家們要敢于邁出這一步，讓我們的國家結束戰爭煎熬，為了更大的共同利益再次攜手合作”。

 

Russia has launched an investigation into dozens of McDonald’s restaurants, in what looks like a tit-for-tat retaliation against American interests after the West imposed sanctions over Ukraine.

Russia’s food safety watchdog said it was looking at possible breaches of sanitary rules at McDonald’s as it shut down four of its fast-food restaurants in Moscow.

But many in the business community said it was a reflection of the deterioration in relations between Russia and the West over Ukraine, wher pro-Russian separatists are fighting against government forces.

In a separate move, the Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson called for a “peaceful resolution” of the Ukraine crisis in an open letter signed by other leading business and cultural figures from Russia, Ukraine and the West.

Unilever’s chief executive, Paul Polman, the Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, PayPal co-founder Max Levchin and former eBay president Jeff Skoll joined Sir Richard in his call for “conversations, not armed conflict” over Ukraine amid concern about the impact on trade of a prolonged stand-off between Russia and the West.

Russia’s move against McDonald’s alarmed US business leaders. Alexis Rodzianko, chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, said: “Obviously, it’s driven by the political issues surrounding Ukraine. The question on my mind is: is this going to be a knock on the door, or is this going to be the beginning of a campaign?”

In a note to clients, the French bank Société Générale warned that the companies generating most revenues in Russia, and therefore most exposed to political risks, are British American Tobacco, BASF. Carlsberg, Coca-Cola, Alstom and E.ON.

Earlier this month Russia imposed bans on Western food imports after Washington and Brussels applied economic sanctions in response to Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region and its backing of the separatists.

The country’s food watchdog is now stepping up its probe of McDonald’s, as it embarks on unscheduled checks in several Russian regions, including Sverdlovsk and Tatarstan in the Urals, the central Voronezh region and the regions around the capital. “We are aware of what is going on. We have always been and are now open to any checks,” a McDonald’s Russia spokeswoman said.

The news agency Reuters said no other prominent Western brand has reported coming under extra scrutiny from the Russian authorities, but there were Russian media reports that Jack Daniels was being investigated. The whisky producer said it would challenge any accusations about its quality.

AmRest, the Warsaw-listed holder of the Russian franchises for several other US brands — Starbucks, KFC, Pizza Hut and Burger King — said last week that it had experienced no problems and was doing well.

The Branson letter said: “As responsible leaders, we must ensure that differences are resolved peacefully, through dialogue and diplomacy, and with respect for both national sovereignty and the right of all human beings to live in peace.

“We as business leaders from Russia, Ukraine and the rest of the world urge our governments to work together to ensure we do not regress into the Cold War misery of the past. We call upon politicians to be bold and brave, so that our nations can end the painful suffering caused by war and once again collaborate for the greater good.”

 

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