KUALA LUMPUR (May 24): American chain of coffee houses Starbucks is exiting the Russian market.

In a statement on Monday (May 23), Starbucks said it had made the decision to exit and no longer has a brand presence in the Russian market.

“We will continue to support the nearly 2,000 green apron partners in Russia, including pay for six months and assistance for partners to transition to new opportunities outside of Starbucks," it said.

On March 8, the company said it had suspended all business activity, including the supply of products, in the territory of Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine.

The first Starbucks coffee house opened in Moscow in 2007.