In a letter, Ukraine's vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov urges Tim Cook to halt Apple's product sales in Russia and shut down its App Store in the country
everyone? https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/... Jeff Moss / @thedarktangent : I've been talking about “app diplomacy” the past year or so where India bans Chinese apps from in retaliation for military border conflicts with China. This takes it to a whole new level! https://twitter.com/... Max Ischenko / @maxua : Can internet companies wage wars like nation states? Will they? Welcome to the 21st century warfare https://twitter.com/... Bernie Moreno / @berniemoreno : You run one of the most valuable companies on Earth. You were the only US tech company to comply with Russian demands to open an office in Moscow. Show leadership by closing that office, all @Apple stores, and deactivating all iPhones originating in Russia. Actions > Concerns. https://twitter.com/... @valueanalyst1 : @Archist42 ... if you're searching for words, here's a perfect example from Tim Cook: https://twitter.com/... Justin Kan / @justinkan : Apple, Google and Amazon should immediately shut off all internet infrastructure to Russia. That would be as powerful as any sanction. https://twitter.com/... Joanna Stern / @joannastern : Imagine explaining to someone in 1940-heck, even 1990-that blocking access to an App Store would be an ask of an international ally. https://twitter.com/... Deepa Seetharaman / @dseetharaman : Ukrainian officials are making this request in hopes of galvanizing Russian youth to protest the war. But @davidakaye's point here — that many of these apps *facilitate* the ability to organize— is key. https://twitter.com/... Jeff Jarvis / @jeffjarvis : Yes. Access for citizens is critical. https://twitter.com/... Patrick McGee / @patrickmcgee_ : Unfortunately the chances of Apple taking such action are virtually nil. Quickest way to kill its China business. Thoughts welcome. https://twitter.com/... JerryRigEverything / @zacksjerryrig : The most brutal sanctions ever: disabling the app store. Your move @tim_cook https://twitter.com/... Jan Rezab / @janrezab : OK, Facebook didn't have to block itself, Russia to ban Facebook, too much “censorship” by Facebook. Time for @google and @apple to make a move... https://www.linkedin.com/... Tom Messett / @tommessett : @janrezab ... Facebook and google are bit players in Russia, they have a strong local ecosystem so it makes little difference. Apple is more significant as it's a big player among the elites and, well, that's who need to get hurt @virushuo : He doesn't have the guts. You can ask the Chinese government to order him to do that, it would be easy and effective immediately, even faster than the request from US government. https://twitter.com/... Jake Williams / @malwarejake : After the butterfly keyboard disaster, I didn't think there was anything that could ever get me to buy another Mac, but I may have been premature. @tim_cook - the ball is in your court... https://twitter.com/... David Kaye / @davidakaye : i'd like to know how anti-war protesters in russia think this would affect them @sbemagx : c'mon @apple, @tim_cook. as a life-long customer of a brand that purports to stand for more than just money, we're counting on you to do the right thing. https://twitter.com/... Jared DiPane / @jareddipane : @saschasegan @tim_cook Block iCloud access, no iMessage. That's what they need, don't stop at the App Store. Sascha C-Band / @saschasegan : This is what I was saying yesterday. @tim_cook should stand against Russia's criminal regime by making every oligarch's teenager's phone not work properly. The power of a whiny teen to affect their parents is quite significant. https://twitter.com/... Cat Zakrzewski / @cat_zakrzewski : A major test for Apple, as Ukraine calls on the company to stop providing products and services to Russia. Fedorov calls on the company to block the App Store. https://twitter.com/... @carnage4life : Interested to see how Apple responds given their prior comfort with authoritarian governments. Would love to see how major tech companies are supporting Ukraine or standing up to the Russian government during this time. https://twitter.com/... Deepa Seetharaman / @dseetharaman : Ukraine is asking @tim_cook to “stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation, including blocking access to the App Store.” Very, very curious what Apple does here and if the U.S. makes a similar appeal to the company. https://twitter.com/...
The request also fits Fedorov's broader campaign of using public channels to press technology companies. Its significance is that the App Store is named alongside hardware sales, making platform access—not only physical products—a target of geopolitical action.
First-order effects
Apple faces an immediate public decision over two Russia operations: selling its products and maintaining the local App Store.
Russian customers and developers become directly exposed to any Apple response because the request encompasses both device availability and software distribution.
Second-order effects
Fedorov's approach creates a visible template for pressure on other enterprise and consumer-tech suppliers; subsequent coverage shows SAP pausing Russian sales and services after a request from Ukraine's vice prime minister.
A decision by Apple would make App Store access a concrete competitive and policy issue for platforms serving Russia, rather than leaving the response confined to hardware commerce.
Third-order effects
If public appeals to platform operators continue to produce operational pullbacks, governments and political actors will gain a parallel lever over cross-border digital services alongside formal sanctions.
The boundary between a platform's commercial market access and its geopolitical posture narrows when app distribution can be requested, and potentially withdrawn, on a country-by-country basis.
The trend: Digital platforms are becoming instruments of statecraft as governments seek to influence national markets through product access and app-distribution controls.
I've contacted @tim_cook, Apple's CEO, to block the Apple Store for citizens of the Russian Federation, and to support the package of US government sanctions! If you agree to have the president-killer, then you will have to be satisfied with the only available site Russia 24. htt…
I am deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine. We're doing all we can for our teams there and will be supporting local humanitarian efforts. I am thinking of the people who are right now in harm's way and joining all those calling for peace.
Apple operates an App Store and an online store with direct to consumer sales in Russia. Now, it's being urged by Ukraine to shut the Russian App Store and stop product sales in the country. https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...
i very much sympathize with the instinct but wonder how cutting off russian citizens' access to the app store would affect their ability to communicate, protest, organize, use VPNs... https://twitter.com/...
If you care deeply @tim_cook, perhaps you could start by having @apple stop supporting authoritarians with your devices? Or just stop selling iPhones in Russia until they leave Ukraine? https://www.wired.com/... https://twitter.com/...
A polite reminder to say “Putin” when you mean Putin and not “Russia”, Russia is not a unit that wants or needs things, the people of Russia did not start an invasion of Ukraine.
@seldo This is why I'm uncomfortable with the calls for Apple to ban the app store in Russia. Feels like the citizens need encrypted messaging more than ever.
@FedorovMykhailo @tim_cook As an Apple product user for over 25 years and a shareholder for 15 years I fully encourage @tim_cook to act on this request. ✌️
@davidakaye @0xggus Yesterday more than 1300 people have been detained at anti-war protests in Russia. Restricting app store wouldn't help the situation.
@KiwiiForReal i get that, but this seems targeted in a way that could actually undermine the goal. you want to increase spaces for ppl to communicate grievance, not limit them.
Day after my tweet, @Ukraine urges @tim_cook & @apple to stop selling products in Russia Perhaps all tech companies should lead the way & pause services in Russia until Putin leaves Ukraine? @Airbnb @uber @facebook @twitter @apple — everyone? https://www.bloomberg.com/... https:/…
I've been talking about “app diplomacy” the past year or so where India bans Chinese apps from in retaliation for military border conflicts with China. This takes it to a whole new level! https://twitter.com/...
You run one of the most valuable companies on Earth. You were the only US tech company to comply with Russian demands to open an office in Moscow. Show leadership by closing that office, all @Apple stores, and deactivating all iPhones originating in Russia. Actions > Concerns. ht…
Apple, Google and Amazon should immediately shut off all internet infrastructure to Russia. That would be as powerful as any sanction. https://twitter.com/...
Imagine explaining to someone in 1940-heck, even 1990-that blocking access to an App Store would be an ask of an international ally. https://twitter.com/...
Ukrainian officials are making this request in hopes of galvanizing Russian youth to protest the war. But @davidakaye's point here — that many of these apps *facilitate* the ability to organize— is key. https://twitter.com/...
Unfortunately the chances of Apple taking such action are virtually nil. Quickest way to kill its China business. Thoughts welcome. https://twitter.com/...
OK, Facebook didn't have to block itself, Russia to ban Facebook, too much “censorship” by Facebook. Time for @google and @apple to make a move... https://www.linkedin.com/...
@janrezab ... Facebook and google are bit players in Russia, they have a strong local ecosystem so it makes little difference. Apple is more significant as it's a big player among the elites and, well, that's who need to get hurt
He doesn't have the guts. You can ask the Chinese government to order him to do that, it would be easy and effective immediately, even faster than the request from US government. https://twitter.com/...
After the butterfly keyboard disaster, I didn't think there was anything that could ever get me to buy another Mac, but I may have been premature. @tim_cook - the ball is in your court... https://twitter.com/...
c'mon @apple, @tim_cook. as a life-long customer of a brand that purports to stand for more than just money, we're counting on you to do the right thing. https://twitter.com/...
This is what I was saying yesterday. @tim_cook should stand against Russia's criminal regime by making every oligarch's teenager's phone not work properly. The power of a whiny teen to affect their parents is quite significant. https://twitter.com/...
A major test for Apple, as Ukraine calls on the company to stop providing products and services to Russia. Fedorov calls on the company to block the App Store. https://twitter.com/...
Interested to see how Apple responds given their prior comfort with authoritarian governments. Would love to see how major tech companies are supporting Ukraine or standing up to the Russian government during this time. https://twitter.com/...
Ukraine is asking @tim_cook to “stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation, including blocking access to the App Store.” Very, very curious what Apple does here and if the U.S. makes a similar appeal to the company. https://twitter.com/...