Microsoft suspends new sales in Russia amid invasion

by Karl Evers-Hillstrom - 03/04/22 10:55 AM ET

Microsoft Corp. is suspending new sales of its products and services in Russia, the software giant announced Friday.

Microsoft joins a growing list of U.S. tech companies, including Apple and Dell Technologies, in cutting Russia off from key technologies following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s violent invasion of Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions against Russia.

“Like the rest of the world, we are horrified, angered and saddened by the images and news coming from the war in Ukraine and condemn this unjustified, unprovoked and unlawful invasion by Russia,” Microsoft president Brad Smith wrote in a blog post.

“In addition, we are coordinating closely and working in lockstep with the governments of the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, and we are stopping many aspects of our business in Russia in compliance with governmental sanctions decisions,” he continued.

Smith added in his blog post that Microsoft is attempting to protect Ukraine’s cybersecurity, stating that the company has acted against “Russian positioning, destructive or disruptive measures against more than 20 Ukrainian government, IT and financial sector organizations” and other cyber attacks on civilian sites that Microsoft believes violate the Geneva Convention.

Microsoft’s move comes after Apple said Tuesday that it would halt all sales to Russia and limit its services within the country. Google paused all ad sales in Russia Thursday, and Meta and Twitter have sought to crack down on Russian propaganda.

Corporate America has broadly joined much of the international community in condemning Russia, with Nike, ExxonMobil, Boeing, Ford Motor Co. and Airbnb among the firms cutting ties with Moscow. Even top Hollywood studios, including Warner Bros. and Disney, are pulling their releases from Russia.

The exodus of multinational companies comes after the U.S. and its allies imposed crippling sanctions and export controls that greatly complicate companies’ ability to do business in Russia.