"Global politics is not your strength": In clear words, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Wadim Pristaiko recently approached Apple. Now the group seems to turn in and wants to review its controversial decision. Apple has identified the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea annexed by Moscow with its route planner and the weather app for Russian users as Russian territory.
"We will again examine the question of how we identify controversial borders in our services," said the US technology company on Saturday.
Google does not assign the Crimea
For users in Russia, the "Autonomous Republic of Crimea" since last week with the addition "Russia" is displayed. Russia had repeatedly demanded, under threat of severe penalties from Google, to change the card designations. Google, however, assigns the Crimea in his services to any country.
Several Russian media headlined that Apple recognized the Crimea as Russian. The Ukrainian government reacted outraged and accused the US company of "damaging the pain of the Ukrainian people".
Punished with tough sanctions
Spicy is the case because the US has imposed sanctions against Russia for Crimean annexation in addition to the EU. Companies that accommodate Russia in the Crimea are usually punished with tough sanctions from the West.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristaiko had responded angrily to the change:
IPhones are great products. Seriously, though, @ Apple, please, please, stick to high-tech and entertainment. Global politics is not your strong side. #CrimeaIsUkraine
- Vadym Prystaiko (@VPrystaiko) 27 November 2019On Twitter, he called for the technology company to rethink and described the Crimea as the "heart" of his country. The company should stay with what it knows: high technology and entertainment. "Global politics is not your strong point," wrote the diplomat. Apple is not represented in Ukraine - unlike in Russia.