No more Big Macs in Moscow

Vladimir Putin has been dealt the ultimate blow for his war in Ukraine: McDonald's has finally decided to exit Russia for good, closing down all 850 outlets. No more Big Macs. The McDonald's sites were closed temporarily in March but now the Big Decision has been made to punish Putin with total closure of the lot for ever. I hope that all the Russian citizens who loved their Big Macs over the years will be mightily pissed off with their leader for being responsible for the end of their fast-food favourite. Putin and his henchmen have said in the past that Russia will be better and stronger for not having western companies, especially American ones, making money in the motherland. But since the first McDonald's was set up in Moscow in 1990, the Russian people unquestionably welcomed the arrival of the American fast-food giant, first because it guaranteed cheap food ready-to-eat and second because it meant the Cold War was over and Russians could start to embrace all the western goodies which had been denied them for decades. Now they know for sure that the Cold War, or something worse, is back and the only person they have to blame for this is Putin. Let the protests begin.