Ukraine requests that Apple stop product sales and access to the App Store in Russia

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What you need to know

  • Mykhailo Fedorov has wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
  • Ukraine is requesting that Apple stop selling products and block access to the Russian App Store.
  • Tim Cook expresses "deep concern" over the situation in Ukraine and claims Apple will "support local humanitarian efforts."

Mykhailo Fedorov, the Ukrainian vice prime minister, has wrote a letter to Tim Cook, requesting that Apple block access to the App Store and stop all device sales in Russia.

In Fedorov's letter, he's asking Apple for support to stop supplying all Apple services and products to Russian users due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

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 suppling 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 runs a dedicated website in Russia for users to purchase iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other devices that the company sells. And of course, there is a separate Russian App Store.

U.S. President Joe Biden has already imposed new sanctions in Russia that aim to prevent companies from exporting select products to Russia. However, at the moment, Apple does not seem to be impacted because it is still currently selling products and services in Russia.

Cook tweeted yesterday that he is "deeply concerned" about the situation in Ukraine. He claims that Apple will be "supporting local humanitarian efforts."

The sanctions put in place by President Biden may not have affected Apple in terms of selling products and services, but it has impacted Apple Pay. Business Insider has reported that five of Russia's major banks cannot use Apple Pay or Google Pay at this time.

Christine Chan
Christine Chan

Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed. When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible.