Apple has given in to Russian demands that the tech company show Crimea as a part of Russia in its map and weather apps.
The change only affects devices set up with the Russian version of the Apple app store, according to the BBC. On other devices, Crimea is depicted without belonging to either Ukraine or Russia.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. The international community, including the European Union and the United States, condemned the act and refused to recognize Russia’s claim to the region.
“Crimea and Sevastopol now appear on Apple devices as Russian territory,” the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian Federal Assembly, said in a statement.
Apple attempted to negotiate with the Kremlin to depict Crimea as contested territory, but the Russian government held that showing Crimea as anything other than Russian territory would violate Russian law.
“There is no going back,” said Vasily Piskaryov, chairman of the Duma security and anti-corruption committee. “Today, with Apple, the situation is closed — we have received everything we wanted.”
Apple did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
Ukraine Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko blasted Apple’s decision on Twitter in English.
“Let me explain in your terms, Apple,” Prystaiko said. “Imagine you’re crying out that your design and ideas, years of work and piece of your heart are stolen by your worst enemy, but then somebody ignorant doesn’t give a damn about your pain. That’s how it feels when you call Crimea a Russian land.”
Let me explain in your terms, @Apple. Imagine you’re crying out that your design & ideas, years of work & piece of your heart are stolen by your worst enemy but then smb ignorant doesn’t give a damn about your pain. That’s how it feels when you call #Crimea a ?? land.
— Vadym Prystaiko (@VPrystaiko) November 27, 2019
Apple CEO Tim Cook defended his company in October after Apple agreed to Chinese demands and pulled an app off its platform that allowed Hongkongers to see and track the locations of police throughout the Chinese territory.
