I think it's obvious Apple can make its own decisions. What you seem to ignore are the finer points and consequences of Apple agreeing to such a decision as 1) this is a request that hurts the average Russian, not Putin or his cronies and 2) a government asking an American company to pull out of another country hands a silver platter to the United States government (or any other government for that matter) anytime the latter wants to justify applying software sanctions to a country it doesn't like.

Acquiescing to this request is asking for an erosion of free speech and Section 230.