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The owner of Uniqlo has defended its decision to keep its Russian shops open, saying that clothing is a " necessity of life".

Uniqlo has 49 stores in Russia and while it will " monitor The Situation " it has no plans to suspend trading.

A Number of Western firms such as Zara and H& M, have halted operations in Russia because of The War with Ukraine.

But Fast Retailing 's founder Tadashi Yanai said Russia 's people " have the same right To Live as we do".

Mr Yanai told Japan's Nikkei newspaper: " There should never be war. Every country should oppose it, "

But He Said : " Clothing is a necessity of life. The People of Russia have the same right To Live as we do. "

Uniqlo is not alone in its decision to continue its operations in Russia , despite A Number of firms exiting the country in reaction to its invasion of Ukraine.

Many international firms that rely on production plants and customer bases in Russia have chosen to stay in the country.

Food and drink giants McDonald's and Coca-Cola have been criticised on Social Media for failing to speak out on Ukraine's invasion and close their business in the region.

#BoycottMcDonalds and #BoycottCocaCola have been trending on Twitter in recent days.

Pepsi, KFC and Burger King and Starbucks are also appear to be still trading in Russia .

It is a big market for these companies. McDonald's, for example, has 847 stores in Russia and KFC reached a milestone of 1,000 restaurants Last Year .

As yet, none of these firms have responded to repeated requests from The Bbc for comment.

The world's largest yoghurt maker, French firm Danone, has said it will not commit new investment to Russia but will continue to sell dairy, water bottles and Baby Food in the country.

" It is very easy to get drawn into black-and-white thinking and demagogic positions, but in The End our reputation is about our behaviour, " chief executive Antoine de Saint-Affrique

" We have a responsibility to The People we feed, the farmers who provide us with milk, and the tens of thousands of people who depend on us. "

Danone has 8,000 workers across 10 sites in Russia .

Tobacco giant Philip Morris International was the leading foreign company by revenue in Russia in 2020. It has suspended operations in Ukraine but not Russia .

Japan Tobacco , which has a 37% share of the Russian Market and 4,500 employees in the country, also continues to operate in Russia . The Company says it is " fully committed" to complying with national and international sanctions.

British American Tobacco (BAT) also has 2,500 workers across 76 offices in Russia and continues to sell cigarettes in the country where it has operated for More Than 30 years.

" BAT always complies with relevant regulation and legislation wherever we operate, and We Are aligned with all international sanctions, " a spokesperson told The Bbc .

" We continue to closely monitor The Situation as it evolves. "

Russia is carmaker Renault's second-biggest market and accounts for around 12% of Renault's revenue, about $5. 5bn (£4. 2bn). The French government currently has a 15% stake in Renault and is its most important investor in terms of voting rights.

The French company has not made any statements on the issue and has not responded to The Bbc 's request for comment.

Alan Jope, The Chief executive of Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever has condemned The Invasion as a " brutal act of war" in

However, operations at The Firm 's sites in Moscow, Omsk, Saint-Petersburg, Ekaterinburg and Tula remain open. Unilever - whose brands include Marmite, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream , Domestos and Dove - employs 3,000 people in Russia .

Source of news: bbc.com