This move, combined with the wider technological blockade that is under way as a result of Western sanctions and corporate decisions, will deprive Russia of key technological tools that are vital to its economy.
Computer chip makers have begun suspending supplies to Russia to comply with US sanctions, while Apple said this week that it was suspending sales of products in Russia and restricting Apple Pay in the country. Google said it would stop selling ads in the country, and paused all search ads, YouTube and the Display Network after the Russian government asked to block ads related to Ukraine.
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Microsoft declined to give more details about the suspension of business in Russia.
But it is likely that companies with existing deals to use Windows and other products will not immediately lose use of the services. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said he expects to see more restrictions from Microsoft in Russia.
“This is the first step towards ultimately having more of a scorched earth policy and getting out of Russia altogether,” he predicted.
Microsoft added that it was helping Ukraine’s cybersecurity officers “defend themselves against Russian attacks, including most recently a cyber attack on a major Ukrainian television broadcaster.”
“Since the war began, we have acted against Russian positioning, destructive or destructive measures against more than 20 Ukrainian government, IT and financial organizations,” Smith said. “We also acted against cyberattacks targeting several additional civilian targets. We have publicly expressed our concerns that these attacks on civilians violate the Geneva Convention.
Smith’s statement concluded: “Like many others, we are with Ukraine in calls for peace, respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and protection of its people.”
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US dominance in many technology sectors gives the country a powerful lever to influence geopolitical conflicts. This is a lever that US officials have used before to punish Chinese technology giant Huawei, which the United States considers a threat to national security.
The restrictions of technology companies will have a greater impact on consumers and businesses in Russia than on the technology giants themselves. The Russian market does not account for a large part of their revenues.
“It’s a crumb for technology companies,” Ives said.