PoliticsPolicy change

EU removes two oligarchs from Russia sanctions list as deadline looms

Published 1w ago · Updated 5d ago

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AI summary52s readNegative

The EU's compromise to drop two oligarchs in order to renew broader sanctions has sparked fierce internal friction and accusations of bowing to pressure.

The European Union has removed Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list as part of a compromise to renew restrictions on nearly three thousand other individuals and companies for another three years. The decision, pushed notably by France, drew sharp criticism from Ukraine and several EU member states who argue the move undermines the bloc's united front against Moscow. Officials in Brussels are now wrestling with the political fallout and fears that the delisting sets a dangerous precedent.

The European Union extended its overall Russia sanctions blacklist for three years while dropping the two oligarchs.
Unanimous approval from all twenty-seven member states was required to preserve the blacklist before the deadline.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had publicly urged European leaders to keep both billionaires under sanctions.
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs warned that cherry-picking sanctions risks normalising Russia's actions.

By the numbers

3,000individuals and companies

3 yrssanctions extension

Timeline

Sep 22The European Union agreed to remove Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list while renewing other restrictions.
Sep 23The European Union faced growing backlash from member states and Kyiv over the decision to lift sanctions on the billionaires.
Sep 24Officials and diplomats in Brussels wrestled with the political fallout and precedent set by the Usmanov compromise.

Why it matters

Sanctions against Russian elites are a cornerstone of the Western economic response to the invasion of Ukraine, making any fractures in the unanimous resolve of European Union member states highly sensitive.

What outlets agree on

All sources agree that the European Union agreed to remove Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its Russia sanctions list while extending restrictions on thousands of other entities.

Where coverage differs

Some reports emphasize France's role in driving the removal of Usmanov, while others focus on broader regional pushback and warnings from Baltic leaders about the dangers of scaling back penalties.

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