Qualcomm has confirmed it has stopped selling its chips and other products to Russian companies in compliance with US sanctions on the country following the invasion of Ukraine.
Many major US businesses have suspended or closed their operations in Russia following the invasion, including technology companies who have stopped selling their wares to Russian firms.
Microsoft, for example, has ceased issuing new Office 365 subscriptions in the country.
Qualcomm Ukraine
Mykhailo Federov, the Ukrainian vice prime minister and minister for digital transformation, urged Qualcomm to follow suit, claiming that Qualcomm products were still available in the Russia and were “inadvertently” allowing Moscow to “kill thousands of Ukrainians.”
“The IT industry always supports values of responsibility and democracy. We believe, your company also shares them,” Federov said in a letter to the company. “Now responsibility is the choice that defines the future. And now, more than ever, people’s lives depend on your choice.
“We call on your company to end any relationships and stop all operations in the Russian Federation until the Russian aggression in Ukraine is fully stopped and fair order is restored.”
Qualcomm responded in a tweet, noting: “This is incorrect. Qualcomm has called for a peaceful resolution to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, made direct donations to relief organisations, & match employee contributions. We have stopped selling products to Russian companies & comply with US sanctions.”
Federov later replied to thank Qualcomm for taking action and suggested the company could send satellite phones to Ukrainian rescuers so they could respond to incidents and communicate with each other more quickly.
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