Microsoft is suspending the sale of all new products and services in Russia, the last tech giant to withdraw from the country in response to the attack on Ukraine.
Microsoft President Brad Smith announced the decision in a blog post on Friday, adding that the company is working closely with the US, the European Union and the UK and is ending many aspects of its business in Russia in line with Western sanctions.
“We will be taking additional steps as this situation continues to evolve,” Mr. Smith wrote.
A Microsoft spokesperson declined to say what aspects of its business are being halted or how much of its sales are in Russia.
Microsoft’s decision comes after several other tech heavyweights have suspended sales in Russia in recent days, including Apple Inc., Dell Technologies Inc. and Oracle Corp. Other sectors have taken similar steps. Exxon Mobil Corp. announced late on Tuesday that it was suspending operations on a multibillion-dollar oil and gas project in Russia and would no longer invest in the country. Commodity giant Glencore PLC and energy companies BP PLC and Shell PLC have said they are reviewing their business in Russia.
Microsoft said last week that it was working to protect Ukraine from state-sponsored cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, in addition to protecting its employees. In Friday’s post, Mr. Smith said the company’s single most effective area of work “almost certainly is protecting Ukraine’s cybersecurity.”
“Since the start of the war, we have acted against Russian positioning, destructive or subversive measures against more than 20 Ukrainian government, IT and financial sector organizations,” Mr. Smith wrote. “We have also taken action against cyberattacks targeting several additional civilian targets.”