I remember the evening news on TV when the first McDonald's restaurant opened in 1990 at Pushkin Square. There was a huge crowd of Russians outside, wanting to try the burger.

It was a sign of a more open world, something resembling an end of the cold war. There was a sense of optimism in the West about a peaceful future with Russia.

It does not matter that McD itself is closing in Russia, but it does tell us something about what the political and security-climate has reverted to.