Apple halts product sales in Russia

Apple has stopped selling its products through the Apple Store in Russia, the company confirmed on Tuesday.

All Apple products on the company’s Russian storefront are listed as “unavailable” for purchase or delivery in the country.

Apple also said on Tuesday that it has removed Russian state-controlled outlets RT News and Sputnik News from its App Store around the world except for Russia.

“We have taken a number of actions in response to the invasion. We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services have been limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia. And we have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens,” an Apple spokesman told CNBC in a statement.

Apple’s announcement on Tuesday highlights the difficult balancing act that American technology companies face during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Companies face challenges with getting Russian customers to pay after Western credit card services were limited in the country.

Nike also stopped selling products in Russia, according to a message posted on the company’s website.