Russian President Vladimir Putin said U.S. tech companies like Microsoft and Zoom should be “strangled” and “throttled” in his country, arguing that Russia should build domestic competitors instead.
During a meeting with Russian company leaders to evaluate certain sectors and the domestic economy, a business leader expressed frustration to Putin that U.S. companies that have announced their exit from the country continue to operate. Microsoft said it was ending sales in the country in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, and Russian lawmakers have railed against Zoom for years.
“We need to strangle them. I completely agree,” Putin said, according to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency. “I say this without any embarrassment, because they are trying to strangle us. We need to reciprocate.”
Microsoft and Zoom did not respond to immediate requests for comment from The Daily Beast.
Putin also attacked McDonald’s, which also exited the nation after Russia began its war in Ukraine, saying the battle did not align with its core values.
“It is impossible to ignore the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski wrote at the time. “And it is impossible to imagine the Golden Arches representing the same hope and promise that led us to enter the Russian market 32 years ago.”
“They put everyone in a difficult position, ran away, and now, if they want to come back, should we pave the way for them?” Putin said on Monday. “Of course not.”
McDonald’s did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
McDonald’s reiterated its commitment to staying out of the country in a letter to a Ukrainian advocacy group last month.
Putin also lamented that Western companies that left due to “political pressures” have hurt Russian businesses. “Some companies left their Russian partners in a difficult situation,” he said.
Putin’s remarks came after President Donald Trump attacked Putin in a statement on Truth Social on Sunday, saying the Russian leader had gone “absolutely CRAZY” after killing Ukrainian citizens.
“He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,” he said. “I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!”
