The Russian government wants to know why Apple removed VK apps from the App Store.

俄羅斯政府想知道 Apple 為何將 VK 應用程式從 App Store 移除。

Apple deleted apps from the company VK. VK says Apple did not tell them first. VK says the company is okay, but the boss of VK is on a US list of bad people.

Apple 刪除了 VK 公司的應用程式。VK 表示 Apple 並未事先通知。VK 稱公司運作正常，但 VK 的老闆被列入美國的黑名單中。

Russia wants to use its own apps now. They make new phones with a Russian app called MAX. They do not want to use American technology.

俄羅斯現在希望使用自己的應用程式。他們製造了搭載名為 MAX 的俄羅斯應用程式的新手機。他們不想再使用美國的技術。

Russia is angry. A man named Dmitry Peskov says Russia might stop working with Apple. He says users can use Android phones instead.

俄羅斯感到憤怒。一名叫 Dmitry Peskov 的人士表示，俄羅斯可能會停止與 Apple 合作。他表示使用者可以改用 Android 手機。

Russia is waiting for an answer from Apple.

俄羅斯正在等待 Apple 的答覆。

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。

The Russian government has requested a formal explanation from Apple following the deletion of several applications developed by the state-controlled entity VK from the App Store.

在 Apple 刪除數個由國家控制實體 VK 開發的應用程式後，俄羅斯政府已要求 Apple 提供正式解釋。

The current impasse originated from the abrupt removal of VK-affiliated software, which the company asserts occurred without prior notification or legal justification. VK maintains that the corporate entity has not been designated under United States sanctions, a claim they state is corroborated by international legal counsel. Despite this, the company's chief executive, Vladimir Kiriyenko, is subject to sanctions imposed by the U.S., the United Kingdom, and the European Union. The removal of these services—which encompass social networking, messaging, and educational tools—is characterized by VK as an unjustified restriction of access for millions of users.

目前的僵局源於 VK 相關軟體的突然移除，該公司聲稱此舉是在沒有事先通知或法律依據的情況下發生的。VK 主張該公司實體並未被列入美國制裁名單，並表示此項主張已得到國際法律顧問的證實。儘管如此，該公司執行長 Vladimir Kiriyenko 確實受到美國、英國及歐盟的制裁。VK 將此次移除服務（涵蓋社交網絡、即時通訊及教育工具）定調為對數百萬用戶不合理的訪問限制。

From a geopolitical perspective, this incident occurs within a broader framework of digital sovereignty and the systematic restriction of foreign technology within Russia since 2022. The Russian state has demonstrated a consistent preference for the proliferation of domestic alternatives, exemplified by the mandatory pre-installation of the state-backed MAX messenger on hardware sold domestically. Consequently, the Kremlin has positioned this event as a question of service reliability. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that should Apple fail to provide a satisfactory clarification, the Russian administration may re-evaluate the viability of continued cooperation with the corporation. Furthermore, the Kremlin has suggested a migration toward the Android ecosystem as a strategic alternative for affected users.

從地緣政治角度來看，此事件發生在 2022 年以來俄羅斯數位主權及系統性限制外國技術的更廣泛框架內。俄羅斯政府持續表現出對推廣國內替代方案的偏好，例如強制在國內銷售的硬體中預裝國家支持的 MAX 通訊軟體。因此，克里姆林宮將此事件視為服務可靠性問題。發言人 Dmitry Peskov 指出，若 Apple 無法提供令人滿意的解釋，俄羅斯政府可能會重新評估與該公司繼續合作的可行性。此外，克里姆林宮建議受影響用戶轉向 Android 生態系統作為策略性替代方案。

The Russian government is currently awaiting a response from Apple to determine the future of their corporate relationship.

俄羅斯政府目前正等待 Apple 的回覆，以決定雙方企業關係的未來。