Apple has confirmed that it has discontinued selling its products in the largest country in the world.
This suspension means that customers in Russia will be unable to purchase iPhones, iPads, Macs and other Apple products online.
Apple consumers in the country normally purchase their devices through third-party retail stores and orders online because no Apple Store was ever established in Russia. Nevertheless, Apple enjoyed high sales numbers in the said country, having an estimated $2.5 billion of yearly revenue.
However, both the tech giant and its customers will have to endure for now. Any attempt to make a purchase through Apple's website will be met with the words "delivery unavailable".
Apple Halts Product Sales in Russia
Apple has decided to officially put a stop to selling their products in Russia due to the continuing political turmoil.
This halt was brought by Apple in its effort to participate in the decision of the U.S. government to sanction the country.
Apple also had RT News and Sputnik News pulled out in the Apple Play Store around the world except in Russia. These two news outlets are also known to be controlled by the Russian government.
As one of the leading tech companies in the world, Apple has been vocal with its deep concern about this modern-day invasion. The company stated that it will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Apple Ukraine Support
According to The Verge, Apple stated that: "We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services have been limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia."
In addition, they stated that they, "have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens."
An evaluation of the situation will also be underway. Apple is in communication with the relevant government agencies regarding the actions to be taken.
Apple ends its statement by calling for world peace.
Read Also: Apple Pay and Google Pay Discontinue Services to Russians as Part of US Sanctions
Imposed U.S. Sanctions
This halt has been implemented due to the plea of the Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
As reported by MacRumors, Fedorov wrote a plea directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook to help Ukraine.
In his letter to Tim Cook, the Vice Prime Minister wrote:
"I appeal to you and I am sure you will not only hear, but also do everything possible to protect Ukraine, Europe, and finally, the entire democratic world from bloody authoritarian aggression - to stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation, including blocking access to App Store!
We are sure that such actions will motivate youth and active population of Russia to proactively stop the disgraceful military aggression."
Apple thereafter fully cooperated.
The decision to halt the sales came a little later after several countries imposed sanctions on Russia. These sanctions were triggered by the ongoing political onslaught between Russia and Ukraine.
The European Union, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, and United States, all have agreed to the imposed economic and political sanctions.
Aside from Apple, Dell and Nike also stated that they suspended their sales in the two countries subjected to turmoil. Furthermore, the car company Ford, also suspended joint venture operations in Russia.
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