EU drops oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman from sanctions list in three-year Russia deal, drawing Ukraine's fury
EU states renewed Russia sanctions for three years but removed oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. Ukraine called the move shameful; Latvia said it will impose national sanctions instead.
The European Union’s 27 member states agreed on Tuesday to renew sanctions on some 3,000 Russian and Russian-linked individuals and entities for another three years — but removed oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list, in a compromise that drew immediate condemnation from Kyiv.
Under the deal reached after weeks of negotiation by the EU’s permanent representatives, the sanctions regime will now be renewable every three years rather than every six months, as it has been since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. But as the price of the deal, Usmanov and Fridman — both described by Le Monde as reputedly close to Vladimir Putin — were taken off the sanctioned persons list. Slovakia pushed for both removals, France for Usmanov’s, and Luxembourg had sought Fridman’s delisting, diplomats told Politico and Ukrainian outlets.
Ukraine reacted with fury. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that the move was “unacceptable,” saying “signals about lifting sanctions on individual Russian oligarchs are self-defeating and counterproductive” while Russian drone and missile attacks were ongoing during the UN General Assembly. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the decision “shameful and unjustifiable,” saying “Moscow is celebrating because it got what it wanted: a sense of impunity, the humiliation of the EU, and division among Europeans,” and urged member states to impose their own national sanctions.
Latvia, which had opposed the removals, said it will do exactly that and apply national sanctions to both men after dropping its veto. With their names off the EU list, Usmanov and Fridman regain access to their assets and the ability to travel within Europe.
Sources
- Le Monde: Usmanov and Fridman, two oligarchs close to Putin, are exempted from EU sanctions — lemonde.fr
- Hindustan Times: Ukraine anger as EU lifts sanctions on Russian oligarchs Usmanov, Fridman — hindustantimes.com
- Interfax-Ukraine: Ukraine’s foreign minister criticises removal of Usmanov, Friedman from EU sanctions list — interfax.com.ua
- Ukrainska Pravda: Sybiha on lifting sanctions on two Russian oligarchs — pravda.com.ua
More on this topic: all World stories
