Starbucks will withdraw from the Russian market, and this step comes after McDonald's exit from the Russian market last week.

In a memo to employees on Monday, the Seattle coffee giant said it decided to close its 130 stores and no longer have a brand presence in Russia. Starbucks said it would continue paying the salaries of nearly 2,000 Russian employees for six months and help them transition to new jobs.

The Starbucks move comes after McDonald's exit from the Russian market last week. McDonald's is working on selling its stores — almost all company-owned — to a current Russian franchisee. The stores will not be allowed to use the McDonald's name or menu.

Starbucks stores are owned and operated by the Alshaya Group, a Kuwait-based franchise company. A spokesman for Alshaya referred questions to Starbucks on Monday.

Starbucks entered the Russian market in 2007. In early March, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Starbucks announced it would keep its Russian stores open but donate any profits to humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.

But after a few days — after Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, McDonald's, and others temporarily halted their operations in Russia — Starbucks changed course and temporarily closed its Russian stores.

Kevin Johnson, then CEO of Starbucks, wrote in a letter to employees: "Through this dynamic situation, we will continue to make decisions that align with our mission and values and communicate transparently."

Edited by: Dima Abu Khair