The push to escalate the trade and sanctions war between Russia and the West continues tonight, with British Foreign Secretary William Hague insisting only new sanctions could force Russia to redeploy more of its troops away from the Ukraine border.
“We haven’t seen real de-escalation by Russia and therefore Europe must not relax in preparing a third tier of sanctions,” Hague insisted, adding that Europe needed to show a “strong and united response” against Russia.
Sanctions have had a lot of weird spill-over effects so far, including putting a Miley Cyrus concert in Finland in jeopardy, and today McDonald’s announced it has closed its three Crimean restaurants.
McDonald’s provided no specific reason for the closure, but said the workers at those three restaurants could keep their jobs only if they agreed to transfer to restaurants in Ukraine. They were not given an option to transfer to Russia, by all indications.
Crimean officials expressed surprise at the move, but said the three restaurants weren’t a significant part of the peninsula’s restaurant system, adding that they believe new restaurants will eventually come.
Wow, three McDonald restaurant are closed in Crimea, Wow, UN disastrous organization needs to step in, alarm the “USAID” the Red Cross and etc, people of Crimea are starving because of this sanction by that David Cameron who starves the English poor as long as he present the English far right aristocrats, Bank of England and those who are in business stealing from poor’s giving it to rich.
Ingot-lessLand should not be complaining. If it wasn't for Russian Rubles the City of Londonstan's housing bubble would turn into The Tunguska Event.
Does this dope even realize what would happen to his Ministry of Silly Walks should the meatheads in the United States of the Fatherland get their way and achieve their religious predilection for nuclear Armageddon?
Britmaniacs have a bad habit of instigating world wars. I Mean, they've done it twice already. And that is a notable achievement for a for an Empire of the Toothbrushless.
Criema will probably be a healthier Nation after McDonalds closes.
They won't end up like most obese Westerners.
So this farce escalates with every day. The withdrawal of McDonalds is the best move they can come up with yet to 'bring Russia to its knees' (one is unsure whether to break out in hysterical laughter or to weep).
Then Hagel comes across all 'hard ass' and proposes to spend billions on a new US army brigade to provide 'muscle' to back up the US/EU opposition to the Russian takeover of Crimea. Again one's body's instinctive reaction oscillates between laughter and crying. Perhaps for historical continuity this unit should be called the 'Light Brigade' and be posted to Balaclava?
And the farce in the Ukraine continues apace as the unelected coup government enforces austerity measures directed by the EU and IMF onto the population – Russian and Ukrainian alike, and calls itself a 'kamikaze' government (what?). All the while the right sector and the rest of the fascist fringe continues to bully and provoke. It is enough to transform Ukrainian presidential candidate Darth Vader into the sanest one on the list…
The Farce is surely with you, Ukraine!
The description of a McDonalds as a "restaurant" was enough to make me chuckle, what a pretentious way to describe a burger bar.
I thought I pointed this out before but please change the colour of Crimea maps to reflect the FACT that it is now Part Of Russia. AKA: reality.
M'kay???
All they have done is cost the workers their jobs.
The owners of MacDonald's probably are English, by closing down these obesity with no nutrition MacDonald's product they actually doing a favor to Crimean people, it would be very nice if they would sanction every country and closing MacDonald's first.
I just read that Ronald McDonald has quit the world renown mystery meat franchise and applied for asylum with the Russian Federation.
Shocked at the announcement, Secretary of State John Kerry quickly promised to 'protect' McDonald's iconic image by wearing a red wig and clown makeup in a show of solidarity until McDonald's corporation can find a suitable replacement. President Obama has also weighed in and declared, "today, we are all Ronald McDonald's" and has ordered every member of his staff to buy McDonald's franken food this Sunday.
President Vladimir Putin was interviewed by RT News while eating fresh shashlyk on a stick and almost choked when he heard the latest news from Washington. Putin asked, "Is this an April Fool joke? " The reported answered, "No." The president then said, "the Russian Federation will consider Ronald McDonald's request. We cannot allow anyone to continue to suffer and eat western pseudo food." It was noted that Mr. Putin held back tears of laughter at the conclusion of the interview..
And that's the news here in Eastern Europe, where the U.S. State Department plonkers have risen to the top of Russian comedy entertainment.
I don't get this. There are McDonald Restaurants in Russia (St Pete and Moscow). I've been in them.
Brits can never stop demonizing and attacking Russia can they
"McDonald’s provided no specific reason for the closure, but said the workers at those three restaurants could keep their jobs only if they agreed to transfer to restaurants in Ukraine. They were not given an option to transfer to Russia, by all indications."
Who cares? Crimea can easily nationalize these restaurants and keep them operating. Crimeans will continue to eat there and all profits then remain in Crimea.