The parent company of IKEA announced on March 3 that it will close all of its stores in Russia, stopping production in the country and halting all exports and imports to and from Russia and Belarus, as Western companies begin to curb business with Russia since its invasion of Ukraine. Ingka operates seventeen stores and one distribution center in Russia. The two companies said in a joint statement that the war in Ukraine has already had a huge human impact and is also resulting in serious disruptions to supply-chain and trading conditions. “The devastating war in Ukraine is a human tragedy, and our deepest empathy and concerns are with the millions of people impacted,” they said. “For all of these reasons, the company groups have decided to temporarily pause IKEA operations in Russia.” Ingka, one of the world’s biggest shopping center owners, said its other 14 locations across Russia operating under its …