Apple bows to Moscow’s pressure by agreeing to show annexed Crimea as part of Russia on apps
- Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 in move condemned by most of global community
- Moscow and Apple had been in talks over last few months, with US tech giant initially hoping to show Crimea as undefined territory
US tech giant Apple has complied with Moscow’s demands to show Crimea, annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as Russian territory on its apps, lawmakers said on Wednesday.
The Black Sea peninsula and its largest cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol are now displayed as Russian territory on Apple’s maps and weather apps when used in Russia. Crimea does not appear to be part of any country when these apps are used in France.
“Crimea and Sevastopol now appear on Apple devices as Russian territory,” parliament’s lower house, the State Duma, said in a statement. Russia treats the naval port city of Sevastopol as a separate region.
Russia and Apple had been in talks over the last few months, with the US giant initially trying to show Crimea as undefined territory and removing any mention of Ukraine.
The State Duma released a statement following a meeting between Vasily Piskaryov, chairman of State Duma security and anti-corruption committee, and Apple’s Russia representative, Darya Yermolina.