Microsoft Suspends Sales in Russia over the Ukraine Crisis

On Friday, March 4, Microsoft officially stopped sales of its products in Russia. This decision was the reaction to the events in Ukraine that Russia invaded on February 24. After this, neither standalone software and hardware products nor cloud services will not be sold to users in Russia.

 It didn’t break down how it will apply its policy. Certainly, computers running Windows won’t simply stop, and neither will Xbox consoles or Surface smartphones be bricked by an update. At the same time, Russian users will not be able to renew their OneDrive or Xbox subscriptions or buy new laptops, consoles, or phones by Microsoft.

 Also, Microsoft as a cloud service provider says it has amplified the protection of Ukrainian state services from powerful cyberattacks. These attacks had also targeted civilian sites and infrastructure objects, banks, and IT organizations. Microsoft is ready to provide this support in the future as well.

 Brad Smith, the President and Vice-Chair of Microsoft, commented on the situation in his blog. He said that Microsoft was also stopping many other aspects of its business in Russia. Another measure the Redmond corporation takes is supporting the Ukrainian refugees and NGOs helping them.

 The entire situation around Russian aggression provides a new historic perspective. While the previous world wars led to the fall of empires and the rise of national states, now corporations may be the new rising power. At least, Microsoft and Apple reacted quicker than most defense ministries, and their net revenue is greater than many states’ budgets. This power is to be acknowledged yet, but it can’t be denied.

 How do you think the events will unfold? Do you think that getting toxic for business is more dangerous for Russia than sanctions imposed by governments? Tell us what you think in the comments!