Apple also takes sides against Russia. And she is not alone. Some of the best known American companies, including Google, Ford, Harley-Davidson e Exxon Mobil, they manifested theirs support for Ukraine, also due to pressure from investors and customers. But, in practice, what will change?
Apple against Russia (but not only)
Apple announced last night the stop to the sales of its products in the Russian territory. In short, no more iPhones, iMacs and Macs for the people led by Putin.
Then come a series of changes to the Maps app, designed to protect civilians in Ukraine, and decision di prevent the download of apps related to Russian state media.
“We are deeply concerned about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and support all those who are suffering as a result of this violence,” said the Cupertino company.
Google, for its part, has excluding Russian publishers from Google News while Ford asked its manufacturing partners in Russia to suspend operations. Same decision made by Exxon Mobil which also will come out of the Sakhalin-I project, a consortium for oil and gas production located on Sakhalin Island and immediately offshore.
Harley-Davidson for the moment will not ship the own bikes in the territory controlled by Putin while Boing suspended the production of spare parts, maintenance and technical support for all Russian airline aircraft.
Also Microsoft seems willing to take the field, by excluding state-controlled media apps from its store and banning advertisements created by the latter.
All these measures are putting a strain on Russia’s economy, with the peak ruble which has reached a new all-time low. And it doesn’t stop there. Today the United States should close its airspace to all Russian airlines.
In the meantime, however, the clashes on Ukrainian territory continue. In Kharkiv the bombings cost 21 dead and 112 wounded and Putin’s troops advance in Kherson, with the UN reporting the deaths of 136 Ukrainian civilians since the beginning of the conflict, including 13 children.
Today, in the Bialowieza area, in Belarus, the second round of talks should take place but “there is still no certainty about the event”, the Russian news agency underlines.