Nokia’s CEO announced that the company would no longer do business in Russia. After Russia invaded Ukraine, many companies cut ties with the country. While several sectors, including telecoms, have been exempted from some restrictions on humanitarian or related grounds, Nokia stated that leaving Russia was the only option.

“We just simply do not see any possibilities to continue in the country under the current circumstances,” CEO Pekka Lundmark said in an interview. He added that Nokia would continue to serve consumers during its exit, but it could not say how long the process would take at this point.

Russia had been pressuring companies to create building networks using only Russian equipment, trying to convince Nokia and Ericsson to set up factories in the country. With this decision, Nokia would not form a joint venture with Russia’s YADRO to build 4G and 5G telecom stations. Around 2,000 people will be affected by the decision, and some of them may be offered jobs in other regions of the world.