EU lifts sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman to extend Russia sanctions for three years

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EU lifts sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman to extend Russia sanctions for three years
EU delays Russia sanctions renewal by a week after France and Slovakia block deal over oligarch Usmanov
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EU ambassadors agreed on Sept. 21 to remove Russian-Uzbek oligarch Alisher Usmanov and Russian-Israeli oligarch Mikhail Fridman from the bloc’s sanctions list, clearing the way to extend asset freezes and visa bans for nearly 3,000 other individuals and entities by three years, diplomats told RFE/RL .
The compromise followed weeks of negotiations after Slovakia initially pushed to delist Usmanov, leveraging its veto. France later joined, with diplomats citing indications from Azerbaijan that it would release two imprisoned French citizens if Usmanov were removed. Luxembourg then demanded Fridman’s inclusion, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur .
The EU typically renews sanctions by unanimity every six months, but the deadlock forced a one-week extension to Sept. 22. Usmanov had failed in legal bids to be delisted in 2024 and 2025, while Fridman won a 2024 case against Brussels over earlier sanctions criteria, which the bloc later updated, Reuters reported .
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha condemned the move, stating that both oligarchs were sanctioned for ties to Russia’s regime and that their removal sent “the wrong signal to Moscow,” according to Gazeta Wyborcza .
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