Zoom’s refusal to work for Russian government agencies and companies with state capital should boost efforts by domestic developers of similar services, which could be a good alternative, Peskov said, according to Tass news agency.

Zoom Video Communications banned its distributors from selling access to its platform to Russian public establishments and state companies, as well as those from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

The Russian Presidency’s press office regretted the decision by the company, which provides video conference services that are very used and popular here, especially in the past few months with direct contact limitations between people due to Covid-19.

‘Unfortunately, this is an American service,’ Peskov noted, and said that the Kremlin only used that platform on the Internet for international contacts that were not organized by Russia.

‘We do not have an account and have never had a contractual relationship with Zoom, we do not need this,’ he added, and explained that the presidential administration has closed communication channels that allow for video conferences.

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