Tech cold war deepens! Putin calls to “throttle” Microsoft, Zoom in Russia
Speaking at a meeting with entrepreneurs on Monday, Putin endorsed calls to “throttle” foreign technology providers operating in Russia, accusing companies like Microsoft and Zoom of undermining Russian interests despite enjoying access to its markets.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has sharply escalated rhetoric against Western tech giants, hinting at retaliatory restrictions amid rising geopolitical and digital tensions. Speaking at a meeting with entrepreneurs on Monday, Putin endorsed calls to “throttle” foreign technology providers operating in Russia, accusing companies like Microsoft and Zoom of undermining Russian interests despite enjoying access to its markets, Reuters reported.
“We’ve welcomed them, offered favorable conditions, but they’ve chosen to throttle us,” Putin stated, warning that Moscow may now mirror the West’s actions by tightening its grip on foreign businesses that limit or scale back operations in the country.
The comments signal a growing resolve in the Kremlin to accelerate technological sovereignty and cut dependence on U.S.-based platforms, many of which began reducing services in Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. With Microsoft and Zoom already offering only limited functionality in the region, Putin’s statement suggests a new phase of digital decoupling could be on the horizon.
Putin also issued a pointed warning to companies that have fully exited Russia, including McDonald’s, which left in 2022. “If they want to return, should we roll out the red carpet for them? No, of course not,” he said, alluding to recent policies that require foreign firms to sell off assets at steep discounts if they choose to leave.
With this, the message is clear that Russia is no longer just reacting to Western sanctions and corporate exits, it is rather preparing to impose its own form of economic and digital retribution. As Moscow pushes to scale domestic alternatives in cloud computing, video conferencing and software infrastructure, Western tech firms may face not just regulatory headwinds, but also a cold-shouldered reentry strategy if geopolitical tides ever shift.
