Russia widened investigations into McDonald's restaurants in what looks like a tit-for-tat retaliation against American interests after the West imposed sanctions over Ukraine.
Russia's food safety watchdog said it was looking at possible breaches of sanitary rules at McDonald's as it shut down four of its fast-food restaurants in Moscow.
But many in the business community said it was a reflection of the deterioration in relations between Russia and the West over Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists are fighting against government forces.
In a separate move, the Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson called for a "peaceful resolution" of the Ukraine crisis in an open letter signed by business and cultural figures from Russia, Ukraine and the West.
Unilever's chief executive, Paul Polman, the Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, PayPal co-founder Max Levchin and former eBay president Jeff Skoll joined Sir Richard in his call for "conversations, not armed conflict" over Ukraine amid concern about the impact on trade of a prolonged stand-off between Russia and the West.