US and Ukrainian top diplomats share McDonald’s fries in Ukraine celebration

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba credits US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with helping reopen McDonald’s in Ukraine after Russia’s military offensive.

They shared a meal at a Kiev McDonald’s before a joint news conference, where Kuleba mentioned how he stressed the importance of McDonald’s returning to Ukraine to Blinken, who later facilitated the request.

The world’s biggest burger chain closed its restaurants in Ukraine and Russia in March 2022, following Moscow’s military offensive against the eastern European country.

But it reopened some branches in Ukraine in September 2022, while in Russia, the US company sold its outlets.

They reopened in June 2022 under new Russian branding.

Blinken said McDonald’s was eager to come back to Ukraine, and the two diplomats wanted to mark the food chain’s return with a quick visit.

“We’ve been saying to each other … the next time I was in Kiev, we should get a chance to stop by,” Blinken said.

“I think I have a real interest in getting some French fries,” he said next to Kuleba.