Google Suspends ‘Overwhelming’ Business in Russia Due to Invasion of Ukraine

Christina Quinn, Acting US Ambassador to Ukraine, joins Varney & Co. to discuss the possibility of accusing Vladimir Putin of war crimes and the destruction caused by his troops.

Google said Thursday it is currently suspending the “vast majority” of commercial activity in Russia after announcing last week that Google ads would be suspended in the country due to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russians will no longer be able to sign up for Google Cloud, use Google payment services, or monetize YouTube channels with views originating from the country.

Google has already removed RT and Sputnik from Google Play, but said on Thursday it would remove other Russian state media apps.

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Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, USA on October 28, 2021. (Typhoon Koskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Several other tech companies have joined the corporate exodus from Russia in recent weeks.

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On Tuesday, Amazon said it was no longer allowing registrations with Amazon Web Services in Russia, turning off prime video in the country, and suspending retail shipments.

Last week, Microsoft suspended all sales of new products and services in Russia as the company’s president denounced Russia’s “unjustified, unprovoked and illegal invasion.”

Apple has taken steps to limit its payment service and last week suspended sales of all products in Russia. Lines on the Moscow metro were reportedly reduced as Russians could no longer use Apple Pay to pay at train stations.

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View of the damaged building of the regional police station after a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 2, 2022. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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Several tech companies are also trying to help Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion. Microsoft is helping cybersecurity professionals in Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, while Google is sending quick air raid alerts to Android phones in Ukraine.

According to the current list compiled by Yale University professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, more than 300 companies in various sectors, including energy, food processing, agriculture and transport, have left Russia in recent weeks.