Lee Jin-man/AP
- Samsung has suspended product shipments to Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine, per reports.
- The company said in a statement that it was actively monitoring the situation.
- Other tech giants like Apple and Microsoft have also halted sales and services in the country.
Samsung has announced that it is suspending product shipments to Russia, following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported.
In a statement sent to media outlets, the company says: “We continue to actively monitor this complex situation to determine our next steps,” per Reuters.
The South Korean firm joins other major companies such as Apple, Nike, and IKEA stopping sales and services in Russia, Insider reported.
A source told Bloomberg that it will affect all Samsung products, from chips to smartphones and consumer electronics. “Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted and our priority is to ensure the safety of all our employees and their families,” the statement said.
Samsung did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment, made outside of normal working hours.
On Friday, Ukraine’s vice prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote a letter to Samsung vice chairman Han Jong-hee to urge the company to temporarily stop supplying services and products to Russia.
In the letter, which he posted on his Twitter account, Fedorov said: “We believe that such actions will motivate the youth and active population of Russia to proactively stop the disgraceful military aggression.”
He called for support, saying that “modern technology is perhaps the best answer to the tanks, multiple rocket launchers, and missiles targeting residential neighborhoods, kindergartens, and hospitals.”
He added: “Stay with Ukraine and save millions of innocent lives!”
Per the report, the tech giant is also donating $6 million, including $1 million in consumer electronics products, to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
Non-Russian companies find it challenging to operate in the country due to the sanctions imposed by Western countries, according to Bloomberg. This includes the US banning transactions with the country’s central bank.
Insider’s Abby Wallace reported on Tuesday that the world’s biggest shipping company is also taking a stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by suspending business in the region.
Meanwhile, Facebook pulled all ads in Russia and blocked all Russian advertisers globally, while a Moscow court fined Twitter for not taking down posts encouraging protests.
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