'We should respond in kind'. Putin calls for Russia to 'strangle' foreign tech firms like Zoom and Microsoft

Meduza.io

During a meeting with Russian business leaders on Monday, Vladimir Putin called for foreign IT companies that continue operating in Russia while allegedly working against its interests to be “strangled.”

“I say this without any hesitation — because they’re trying to strangle us. So we should respond in kind, that’s all,” Putin said. “We didn’t kick anyone out or stand in anyone’s way — we created the most favorable conditions for them to work here, in our market. And now they’re trying to strangle us.”

Putin’s remarks came in response to comments from Stanislav Iodkovsky, the CEO of the Russian video conferencing software company Iva Technologies, who urged the president to “slightly restrict the operations of services that have left Russia, such as Zoom and Microsoft.”

“According to multiple analysts, the sector is losing billions because these services are still operating in Russia,” Iodkovsky said.

Putin instructed Iodkovsky to send detailed information about the Western companies in question to Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Maksim Oreshkin, including where and by whom their services are still being used.

“Go ahead and send it, okay? Don’t hold back — work through it calmly with our colleagues. I understand what you mean. Our major companies are still using their products, services, and so on,” Putin said.

Putin also argued that the departure of major foreign companies from the Russian market following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was “largely forced by the so-called political Western elites.”

At the same time, he said that Russia would support domestic companies that have replaced departed Western brands — such as McDonald’s — should those firms attempt to return.

“Like I said, we didn’t force them out — they left on their own. If they have a buyback option, it’s probably tied to some timeline or conditions over a set number of years. If you give me the contract, I’ll review it and explain what needs to be done — we have good specialists. We’ll definitely help you. Don’t even doubt it,” Putin told representatives of Vkusno i Tochka, the fast food chain that replaced McDonald’s.

Putin’s comments follow months of speculation, fueled by Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency, that major Western companies which exited Russia at the start of the war could soon return. However, these rumors have slowed in recent weeks as U.S.-mediated peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have stalled.

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Cover photo: Sergey Savostyanov / TASS / Profimedia