Sony made a social media post. Original date for PsN requirement was June. During the backlash, over 100 countries were delisted. They still are. The current situation is stillmuch worsethan launch.
The primary goal was to not have to create a Playstation account, and people can get a refund now from Steam if they want, where before they could not.
Sony can always decide where to sell their products, regardless if there's a controversy, or just any day of the week and for any reason. We could never control where Sony sells their products.