Microsoft announces plans to completely withdraw operations in Russia over Ukraine war

Microsoft has revealed plans to completely wind down operations in Russia due to Western sanctions, The Press United reported. As Putin’s war on Ukraine continues to draw repercussions from the US and its allies, the company’s president, Brad Smith, said that it would continue to scale back business in the country until there is nothing left. With the announcement, Microsoft joins a dozen of other Western firms that have partially or fully pulled back from the Vladimir Putin-led country. 

Earlier this month, the tech giant had announced that it will considerably scale down services in Russia but would fulfil all the existing contractual bonds with its customers. In March, Microsoft halted all its new sales and sanctions in the country. Meanwhile, speaking to Washington Post in an online interview, Smith clarified that regardless of the pull-out, the company will still provide support for its Russian workforce. 

“As a result of the changes to the economic outlook and the impact on our business in Russia, we have made the decision to significantly scale down our operations in Russia,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Multinational giants quit Russian markets 

In retaliation to Putin's unprovoked war on Ukraine, a huge number of multinationals have quit the Russian market. Tech giants such as Apple, Google and food retailers such as Starbucks, McDonald's, and KFC are some big names that have already left. Late last month, American Coffee Chain Starbucks decided to call it quits in the Russian Federation as President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has completed three months. While it already halted its shipment to the country’s market back in March, Starbucks has now announced that it will entirely quit the Russian market.

Meanwhile, fast-food chain McDonald's said that it has started the process of selling its Russian business, which includes 850 restaurants that employ 62,000 people, making it the latest major Western corporation to exit Russia since it invaded Ukraine. Earlier in March, Apple Inc. announced that it has "paused all product sales in Russia." In a statement released by the iPhone maker, authorities also informed that Apple has also decided to stop all exports to Russia and "limited" its payment services Apple Pay for citizens of the country.

(Image: AP)