:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elfinanciero/YTTQOFOPJND3BCL3O2A7CJOKJM.jpg "With war in Ukraine, Russia goes back to Soviet times – El Financiero")
Last week, after 32 years of operation in the country, McDonald’s announces the closure of its restaurants in Russia because of the invasion Ukraine, which started on February 24. Coca-Cola also joins a list of companies that sanction the country ruled by Vladimir Putin.
Because Western companies are pulling out of Russia en massesome analysts have pointed out that the ghost of the Soviet era has reappeared, says the BBC.
In addition, there are some signs that are reminiscent of the past, such as the difficulties Russia faced leaving the country, the fall of the ruble, and the economic sanctions imposed by the current government.
“With the opening of McDonald’s, the West came to Russia; now, with its closure, it is goneAndrei Kolesnikov, president of the Russian National Policy Program at the Carnegie Moscow center, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
“Russia’s extermination continues on all fronts,” he added.
“The biggest symbolic gesture here is when— McDonald’s moved to the Soviet Union, it was part of a message of openness and building trust and cooperation between Russia and the West. Now all those roads have been closed,” Paul Musgrave, professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst told the BBC.
“Russia saw the exit of McDonald’s really end or close that era. And we seem to have stopped, at least symbolically, in a new era of division between Russia and much of the rest of the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, experts from the Carnegie Moscow Center state that “some Soviet reflexes have not disappeared in the last 30 years” and draw an analogy between the line to buy salt and matches in the 20th century and those who make money from them. ATM or bought products in bulk in recent days.
According to the BBC, The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is known as a country with empty supermarket shelves and constant shortages. Endless queues, shortage of merchandise, profiteering and sellers of used goods. Each region has its own special drawbacks.
The hardest things to get are cars and equipment. Electronic goods, proper shoes, books, cosmetics, all are in short supply, British media say.
While no one has so far spoken of a massive shortage in Russia at the moment, there have been disruptions to supply chains and many international brands are leaving the country ruled by Putin.
“The economic blockade is destroying everything that has resulted from decades of people’s efforts. All the legacy of democracy from the 1990s, especially the free and quality media, is also being destroyed,” Kolesnikov said.
Companies that sanction Russia for invading Ukraine
Initially, as the first sanctions against the invasion of Ukraine, the United States, together with the European Union and Britain, blocked the assets of the Russian president and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, in those countries, in addition to excludes major Russian banks from Swift’s international payment system.
Subsequently, various companies announced their departure from Russia, from their automotive sector Ford Motors , General Motors Co. and Harley-Davidson Inc. announced joint sanctions with oil companies BP Plc and Shell Plc.
Apple, iPhone makers, also reported that they had stopped exporting products to Russian sales channels, adding that it would eliminate RT News App and Sputnik News from app stores outside Russia. The company is followed by Microsoft and Samsung.
For their part, card operators, MasterCard and Visa announced in a statement What block several payment network financial institutionswhile DHL, FedEx, Kuehne+Nagel, Maersk, and UPS stopped shipping.
Meanwhile, Hollywood entertainment companies such as the Walt Disney Co. and WarnerMedia have also suspended operations in Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Netflix also added with sanctions.
Russia can do without Western companies
Despite the sanctions imposed by companies in Russia, during meetings with senior officials, Vladimir Putin dismissed the effects of Western economic pressure, the BBC says.
“Together with our partners, those who do not recognize this illegal act, we will surely find a solution to all the problems they are trying to create for ussaid the Russian president.
“We have to get through this period. Undoubtedly, the economy will adapt to the new situation. We will continue with import substitution in all areas and, ultimately, all of this will lead to our greater self-reliance, independence and sovereignty,” he added.
British media added that communist MP Yuri Afonin argued why he believed Russia would not be negatively affected by the departure of Western companies.
“Most people are now starting to realize that the sanctions imposed by Western companies are not aimed at our country’s defense capabilities, but against certain people. Can we do without those companies? Obviously we can!”, he said through a local television channel.
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