Visa, Zara and Starbucks: foreign brands will be returned to Russia

Why did you start discussing the return of the brands?

Rumors about the possible return of foreign companies left by Russia in 2022 began to appear after the telephone conversation of US President Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin on February 12. As Trump said then, during the dialogue, the leaders of the countries agreed to “begin immediately” the negotiations on the stop of a military conflict in Ukraine. In addition, the heads of state supported the idea that cooperation time between Russia and the United States has come.

On February 18, Russia and the United States maintained complete negotiations. The meeting took place in the capital of Sadouve Arabia-e-riyde. He attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIP) Kirill Dmitriev and the assistant of Putin Yuri Ushakov, as well as the Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, Trump Advisor of Mike Walz and special supervisor of the United States. President in the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

During the discussion, which, according to Tass, lasted 4.5 hours, the participants in the delegations agreed to restore the work of the diplomatic mission. Based on the results of the negotiations, Rubio also asked the European Union to make concessions against anti -Russian sanctions to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. The United States Secretary of State added that “at some point the EU will have to sit at the negotiating table.”

What brands are we talking about?

Inditex, Uniqlo, H&M. In mid -February, the vice president of the Union of Commerce Centers (STC) Pavel Lyulin told Tass that the Spanish Inditex group was negotiating to return to the Russian market in private. He pointed out that the foreign business took a waiting position on this issue, since the return requires “defrosting” in the relations of Russia and the United States.

After that, the STC announced that it sent letters to the leadership of Inditex, Uniqlo and H&M, in which it suggested to return to Russia. The union emphasized that they are ready to help dialogue, resolve difficulties in the field of logistics, as well as “maintain reintegration without obstacles” of foreign companies.

In addition, the Mash Telegram channel wrote about the possible return to the possible return, citing Fuentes. According to them, the company “studies the situation in the market, raises files and documents to return quickly to Russia.”

The Telegram Shot channel also reported that several former employees of the Uniqlo store in Russia received a question from the former leader about his willingness to go to work. He did not call specific working terms and conditions, adding that “everything is in the process.”

• This news then responded to Inditex and H&M. The first declared that they did not comment a possible return to the Russian market, and in the second they emphasized that they currently have no plans to restore Russian businesses.

Visa and Mastercard. The resumption of the work of the payment systems in mid -February was allowed in the state Duma. The head of the Anatoly Aksakov Financial Market Committee said that Visa and Mastercard should return “in the near future”, since “they have lost a great market and will strive to enter it.” The deputy said the “National Payment Cards System” (the MIR card operator and the fast payment system) showed its “technology and efficiency”, so the performance of foreign payment systems will be complicated.

On February 20, speaking at the Cybersecury in Finance forum, the president of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, said the regulator has not yet received notifications of Visa and Mastercard about the desire to return to the Russian market. In his opinion, talk about it for now premature.

Neither in Visa nor Mastercard responded to RB.ru.

Starbucks. The Mash Telegram channel has reported the possible return to Russia of the Popular Café Network. According to him, the American company plans to redeem Russian assets, which in 2022 went to Restorer Anton Pinsky and Raper Timati (Timur Yunusov). Mash said that Starbucks has already “insinuated” the redemption of points for $ 270 million.

The company stars Coffee (the new name of Starbucks in Russia) refused to answer the question of whether proposals for purchase institutions are received. Timati in a conversation with the Telegram channel did not confirm and did not refute. Pinsky did not respond to the RB.R.

The Coca-Cola Company. Mash also wrote that an American manufacturer of sweet soda water is being prepared for a return to Russia, within the company is already discussing the strategy to work with Russian competitors and the fight against parallel imports. The puree source said that the Coca-Cola company plans to produce soft drinks in the same companies as before leaving Russia in 2022.

Later, the shooting telegram channel said that national Coca-Cola manufacturers opposed the return of the US company to the market and can even create an alliance that does not stop returning. Alexey Quatergov, the chernogolovka head, who makes a drink under the Kola brand, said Russia “was not a patio to pass, once he left, you will not enter.”

Samsung, LG, Hyundai. These South Korean companies, according to the Renhap local agency, took a waiting position and monitored the possibility of canceling the sanctions against Russia. Hyundai supposedly considers the option to buy its old plant in St. Petersburg.