Mykhailo Federov, vice prime minister of Ukraine has sent a letter to Apple imploring that the company halt its App Store operations in Russia.
In Federov’s letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, he asked that the Cupertino-based company stop its supply of products and services in Russia as a protest against the ongoing conflict. The vice prime minister sent out a tweet informing the public of his move and included a snapshot of the sent letter.
In response, Tim Cook said that he’s ‘deeply concerned’ about the Ukraine situation and that Apple will be doing all it can to support local humanitarian efforts.
The App Store continues to operate in Russia. However, both the United States and European governments have recently imposed a sanction on banks that use Apple Pay and Google Pay. It’s believed that around 5 major Russian financial institutions are affected. Furthermore, select products have been banned from entering the region.
