> So instead of losing 5% or so of their revenue in the EU they’d rather lose > 80-90% seems like a smart business decision…

Not sure where you're pulling that 5% figure from, but the EU wants to fine companies like Apple a much larger percentage of their global revenue, not just EU revenue.

If the fines the EU wants to impose are greater than Apple's profit in the EU, indeed it would be a smart business decision to pull out.

> In any case (not quite the same but gives a glimpse into their mindset) they have zero issues with kowtowing to authoritarian regimes like those in Russia or China

Well, duh. Apple are not concerned with a government abusing its own people, they are concerned with a government taking 10% of their global revenue.