The Russian government has asked Apple for a formal explanation after several applications created by the state-controlled company VK were removed from the App Store.

在數款由國有公司 VK 開發的應用程式被 App Store 移除後，俄羅斯政府要求 Apple 提供正式解釋。

The current conflict started when VK-affiliated software was suddenly removed. The company claims that this happened without any warning or legal reason. VK emphasizes that the company itself is not under United States sanctions, a point that their international legal advisors have confirmed. However, the company's CEO, Vladimir Kiriyenko, is subject to sanctions from the U.S., the UK, and the EU. VK describes the removal of these services—which include social media, messaging, and education tools—as an unfair restriction for millions of users.

目前的衝突始於 VK 相關軟體突然被移除。該公司聲稱此事發生時並未收到任何警告或法律理由。VK 強調公司本身並未受到美國制裁，其國際法律顧問也確認了這一點。然而，該公司執行長 Vladimir Kiriyenko 則受到美國、英國及歐盟的制裁。VK 將移除這些服務（包括社交媒體、通訊和教育工具）描述為對數百萬用戶的不公平限制。

From a political perspective, this event is part of a larger trend where Russia is trying to control its own digital space and limit foreign technology. Since 2022, the Russian state has encouraged the use of local alternatives; for example, the state-backed MAX messenger must be pre-installed on devices sold in Russia. Consequently, the Kremlin views this situation as a problem of service reliability. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that if Apple does not provide a satisfactory answer, the Russian government may reconsider its cooperation with the company. Furthermore, the Kremlin has suggested that users switch to Android devices as a strategic alternative.

從政治角度來看，此事件是俄羅斯試圖控制自身數位空間並限制外國技術之更大趨勢的一部分。自 2022 年以來，俄羅斯政府鼓勵使用本地替代方案；例如，在俄羅斯銷售的裝置必須預裝國家支持的 MAX 通訊軟體。因此，克里姆林宮將此情況視為服務可靠性問題。發言人 Dmitry Peskov 表示，如果 Apple 不能提供令人滿意的答案，俄羅斯政府可能會重新考慮與該公司的合作。此外，克里姆林宮建議用戶將 Android 裝置作為策略性替代方案。

The Russian government is now waiting for a response from Apple to decide the future of their professional relationship.

俄羅斯政府目前正在等待 Apple 的回覆，以決定雙方未來的專業合作關係。