McDonald's Moscow Russia
A Russian court has ordered a branch of McDonald's in Moscow to close to 90 days, for violating 'sanitary rules'. Reuters

A Russian court has ordered the closure of a McDonald's restaurant in Moscow after it violated sanitary rules, according to Russian news agency RIA.

The court ordered a 90-day closure of the restaurant which lies in Moscow's Manezh Square.

Russia's food safety watchdog has previously imposed temporary closures on five separate branches of the fast-food giant, three of which were in Moscow.

The Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's consumer protection agency, has also announced a range of sweeping checks at the company's restaurants across the country.

International food fight

The Moscow court's decision comes as political ties between Russia and the West at their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

Russia slapped a ban on most food imports from the US, EU, Canada, Norway and Australia in August after those countries imposed a range of economic sanctions against entire sectors of Russia's economy.

The US-led sanctions targeted Russia's defence, finance and energy sectors over Moscow's alleged support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Pro-Russian rebels have captured major cities in the east of the country, using them as bases to sustain an insurgency.

Ukrainian and Russian leaders held direct talks on Wednesday in a bid to resolve the ongoing crisis.

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