Daily we hear of escalating strife between Russia and Ukraine. For those who live in these regions, the conflict is affecting even the simplest of comforts—shutting down fast-food restaurants, according to the New York Times. At the McDonald’s near Red Square, where Muscovites enjoy the Freshburger with Parmesan, the Beef Roll, and other items distinctly unknown to American chains, high-school student Sofia Zalesskaya, 17, said, “Drinking vodka, which the whole country does, is much worse for health than eating French fries and chicken.” Though the Red Square McDonald’s is holding its own, the chain closed three locations in Crimea after the Russian invasion and annexing of the peninsula last March.
Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov claims the stores are not mourned. “We will be healthier,” he told the Interfax news service. “This food does not suit. Look at people who regularly eat McDonald’s food. Some of them have to turn sideways to squeeze through a door frame.” Apparently, bad food knows no borders. Silent weapons for quiet wars?
