TLDR;
- Putin has ordered a crackdown on U.S. tech giants like Microsoft and Zoom still active in Russia.
- He accused these companies of trying to “strangle” Russia economically and called for reciprocal action.
- Moscow plans to phase out reliance on Western tech and replace it with domestic alternatives.
- Officials will identify Russian firms still using banned tech and pressure them to switch to national solutions.
In a fiery cabinet meeting last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an unambiguous directive: eliminate the influence of Western technology firms still operating in Russia.
Calling for retaliation against what he sees as economic warfare from the West, Putin stated bluntly, “You just have to strangle them. I agree completely.”
This marks one of the Kremlin’s strongest public condemnations of U.S. tech companies since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although many Western firms exited the Russian market after international sanctions took effect, companies like Microsoft and Zoom continue to maintain a digital presence through products still used by businesses and consumers in the country.
Putin – ‘We Need to Mirror Their Actions’
During the meeting, Putin lashed out at the continued reliance on foreign platforms, despite years of rising tensions and economic sanctions.
“We provided the most favorable working conditions in our market, and now they are trying to strangle us,” he said. “We need to respond in kind, act as a mirror.”
He directed cabinet officials to create a list of Russian companies still using Western services and implied that their continued dependence amounted to a kind of national disloyalty.
“Let’s name everyone who can’t get rid of these harmful habits yet. I’m not joking,” he added.
Economic Retaliation Hits Tech
Putin’s statements follow complaints from Russian entrepreneur Stanislav Yodkovsky, who pointed out that Microsoft and Zoom are still widely used in the country, allegedly costing Russian firms “billions.” The President seized on the point, using it as justification to accelerate the transition toward domestic digital infrastructure.
Zoom had already faced Russian regulatory pushback and fines for non-compliance, while Microsoft gradually curtailed operations post-2022, including suspending software license renewals and cutting cloud services.
Moscow is now expected to implement additional restrictions on Western platforms, possibly including import bans, usage penalties, and tighter cybersecurity controls. Putin suggested that any loopholes allowing Russian businesses to bypass these measures must be “cleaned out,” even if the process involves higher short-term costs.
“There should be no welcoming path for them to return,” Putin said, signaling a hardened stance against any future reconciliation with companies that exited the market under Western pressure.
Digital Isolation or Digital Sovereignty?
The Kremlin’s broader strategy appears aimed at achieving complete digital sovereignty, replacing Western tech with homegrown alternatives, even at the risk of temporary inefficiency. Putin acknowledged the transition could be costly but framed it as an investment in long-term independence.
Over 1,000 foreign firms have significantly cut back operations in Russia since the war began. While many U.S. tech giants, including Salesforce, Dell, and HP, have exited, others like Cloudflare and Patreon continue to operate with fewer restrictions.
