TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo has announced business will continue as usual in Russia after dozens of global brands pulled out of the market following that country’s recent invasion of Ukraine.

“Clothing is a necessity of life. The people of Russia have the same right to live as we do,” the brand’s CEO Tadashi Yanai said in an email, according to a Nikkei report.

"There should never be war. Everyone should oppose it," Yanai said. "This time, all of Europe clearly opposes the war and has shown its support for Ukraine. Any attempt to divide the world will, on the contrary, strengthen unity."

Fast fashion rival Zara announced on Saturday (March 5) that it will temporarily cease operations in Russia. Sweden’s H&M has done the same.

Uniqlo, which has 50 stores in Russia, is one of the largest brands in Taiwan’s clothing market, with 68 stores nationwide in 2020.

Other international brands that have pulled out of the Russian market stand to lose much more revenue than Uniqlo. The Japanese brand has less than a tenth the number of stores in Russia than Zara, for example, which has over 500.