Deputy: Russian business should say no to Microsoft’s offers

MOSCOW, May 3 (PRIME) – The Russian business should discontinue using Microsoft products and move to technological independence, Anton Gorelkin, deputy chairman of the information policy committee at the parliament’s lower house State Duma, said on Wednesday on Telegram.

“I hope the Russian business will find strength to reject Microsoft’s offers and continue moving toward technological independence,” Gorelkin said, adding that the U.S. company is mailing out proposals of cooperation to the Russian clients that are not on the sanctions list.

Microsoft earlier suspended sales and closed offices in the country.

“In fact, despite the loud statements, Microsoft does not seem inclined to end its presence in the Russian Federation, on the contrary, we see it interested in staying here,” the deputy said.

“I think the decision was made after consultations with the curators at the U.S. government that certainly want Microsoft products to continue acting as a tool of soft power, and I would even name it a tool of digital colonialism.”

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