Ericsson Says No Hardware Exported to Russia, Only Software Support

Ericsson suspended its business in Russia in April. Reuters
Ericsson suspended its business in Russia in April. Reuters
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Ericsson Says No Hardware Exported to Russia, Only Software Support

Ericsson suspended its business in Russia in April. Reuters
Ericsson suspended its business in Russia in April. Reuters

Ericsson said on Friday it is only providing software and technical support to Russian clients and has not sold any telecommunications equipment to mobile operators there since the Ukraine war started, after Swedish media reported the company had continued its exports.

Shares of the company fell 4.6% in morning trading.

Ericsson suspended its business in Russia in April and said in August that it would exit the country in the coming months.

It recorded a charge of 900 million Swedish crowns ($81 million) and made 400 employees redundant in the country as it winds down operations.

"Compliant with the sanctions we provide the software and technical assistance for those products that we have shipped prior to the invasion making it possible to withdraw while fulfilling contractual obligations," Reuters quoted a spokesman as saying.

"When the sanctions were announced we stopped shipments to customers in Russia," he said.

Rival Nokia, which has also announced plans to exit Russia before the end of the year, had said it does limited maintenance of critical networks to fulfill its contractual and humanitarian obligations.

Sveriges Radio Ekot reported that Ericsson had applied for 12 permits for exemptions from sanctions from Sweden's Inspectorate of Strategic Products and was granted seven.

The sanctions list by the Swedish authority include software and technology linked to telecommunications. It did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ericsson said the permits were for software and technical assistance.

"Even though mobile telephony is for civil use an export license is required mainly because of the advanced encryption technology that is embedded in our products, and this is to applicable for all countries," he said.

"Ericsson's products are designed for civil use, not military."



China’s Premier Li Proposes Global AI Cooperation Organization

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is seen on a screen as he speaks at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26, 2025. (AFP)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is seen on a screen as he speaks at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26, 2025. (AFP)
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China’s Premier Li Proposes Global AI Cooperation Organization

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is seen on a screen as he speaks at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26, 2025. (AFP)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is seen on a screen as he speaks at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26, 2025. (AFP)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday proposed establishing an organization to foster global cooperation on artificial intelligence, calling on countries to coordinate on the development and security of the fast-evolving technology.

Speaking at the opening of the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Li called AI a new engine for growth but said governance is fragmented and emphasizing the need for more coordination between countries to form a globally recognized framework for AI.

The three-day event brings together industry leaders and policymakers at a time of escalating technological competition between China and the United States - the world's two largest economies - with AI emerging as a key battleground.

"Overall global AI governance is still fragmented. Countries have great differences particularly in terms of areas such as regulatory concepts, institutional rules," Li said. "We should strengthen coordination to form a global AI governance framework that has broad consensus as soon as possible."

Washington has imposed export restrictions on advanced technology to China, including the most high-end AI chips made by companies such as Nvidia and chipmaking equipment, citing concerns that the technology could enhance China's military capabilities.

Despite these restrictions, China has continued making AI breakthroughs that have drawn close scrutiny from US officials.

Li did not name the United States in his speech but he warned that AI could become an "exclusive game" for a few countries and companies, adding that challenges included an insufficient supply of AI chips and restrictions on talent exchange.

GOVERNANCE PLAN

China wants to share its development experience and products with other countries, especially those in the Global South, Li said.

Also on Saturday, China released an action plan for global AI governance, in which it invited governments, international organizations, enterprises and research institutions to work together and promote international exchanges including through a cross-border open-source community.

The plan proposes accelerating digital infrastructure such as clean power, new-generation networks and data centers, according to a statement from China's foreign ministry.

The AI conference is an annual government-sponsored event in Shanghai that typically attracts major industry players, government officials, researchers and investors.

Saturday's speakers included Anne Bouverot, the French president's special envoy for AI, computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, known as "the Godfather of AI", and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has in past years regularly appeared at the opening ceremony in person or by video, did not speak this year.

Besides forums, the conference features exhibitions where companies demonstrate their latest innovations.

This year, more than 800 companies are participating, showcasing more than 3,000 high-tech products, 40 large language models, 50 AI-powered devices and 60 intelligent robots, according to organizers.

The exhibition features predominantly Chinese companies, including tech giants Huawei and Alibaba and startups such as humanoid robot maker Unitree. Western participants include Tesla, Alphabet and Amazon.