Russia Fined 116 Billion Won by Google Amid Ukraine Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen holding his annual press conference on the 23rd (local time) at the Moscow Manege exhibition hall in central Moscow, which is displayed on a large screen inside the conference hall.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] A Russian court has imposed a hefty fine on Google, a leading US IT company.

On the 24th (local time), according to major foreign media, the Russian court announced that it fined Google 7.2 billion rubles (approximately 116 billion KRW) for failing to remove illegal content.

Amid rising military tensions with Ukraine, conflicts between the US and Russia are also escalating. Recently, Russia has concentrated its military forces near the Ukraine border, citing the expansion of the Western security alliance NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) as the reason.

The US considers this as preparation for an invasion of Ukraine and has warned that if Russia uses military force, it will impose unprecedented economic sanctions. The two countries are also clashing over Russia reducing natural gas supplies to Europe, exacerbating the European energy crisis during the winter.