Western governments, sporting organizations and big
companies have cut Russia off or dealt it punishing sanctions over the
internationally condemned attack on its neighbor.
The US-based company behind software that runs on over one
billion devices, said it would "suspend all new sales of Microsoft
products and services" in Russia, but declined to elaborate on how the
policy would be applied.
"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 said in a blog post.
Apple has already moved to halt sales of its products in
Russia, while US-based social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have
taken steps against the spread of Russian state-linked media in response to the
invasion.
Microsoft said it has also taken action over harmful
cyberattacks against the Ukrainian state.
"Since the war began, we have acted against Russian
positioning, destructive or disruptive measures against more than 20 Ukrainian
government, IT and financial sector organizations," Smith's blog said.
Condemnation of invasion -
"We have also acted against cyberattacks targeting
several additional civilian sites," he added.
Ukraine's government has been seeking help from all quarters
and has taken to Twitter to individually name companies that it wants to cut
off business with Russia.
"You are definitely aware of what is happening in Ukraine
right now... If you support human values, you should (leave) the Russian
market!" Ukraine vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted to
Microsoft-owned Xbox and Sony's PlayStation.
The news comes after Intel and Airbnb announced they were
pausing business in Russia and Belarus on Thursday, joining the tech freeze-out
of Moscow.
Airbnb's co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky, who has added a
Ukrainian flag to his Twitter profile, tweeted that the company "is
suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus," without giving further
details.
The vacation rentals platform also announced on Monday that
it would offer free short-term stays for up to 100,000 people fleeing fighting
in Ukraine.
Chipmaker Intel said it "condemns the invasion of
Ukraine by Russia and we have suspended all shipments to customers in both
Russia and Belarus."
Companies have also taken action regarding ad revenue and
monetization, with Google announcing Thursday it had suspended advertising in
Russia.
"In light of the extraordinary circumstances, we're
pausing Google ads in Russia. The situation is evolving quickly, and we will
continue to share updates when appropriate," Google said in a statement.
The Silicon Valley giant had already barred Russian
state-linked media like RT and Sputnik from YouTube in Europe, while also
restricting the outlets' content on Google News. © Bloomberg LP