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EU lifts sanctions on Russian oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman, drawing Ukraine and EU backlash

EU lifts sanctions on Russian oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman, drawing Ukraine and EU backlash
30 articles·19 sources·updated about 1 hour ago·View in graph
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The European Union lifted sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman on Tuesday, a decision that has triggered sharp criticism from Ukraine and some EU members who argue it weakens the bloc’s support for Kyiv.

The move came as part of a broader package extending Russia-related sanctions for three years, covering nearly 3,000 other individuals and entities. The Council of the European Union formalized the extension on Sept. 22, but the removal of Usmanov and Fridman was the focal point of backlash .

Diplomats and media reports linked the decision to pressure from France, which reportedly secured the release of a French national, Martin Ryan, from an Azerbaijani prison a day after the sanctions were lifted. Azerbaijan pardoned Ryan, who had been jailed on espionage charges, following what diplomats described as a quid pro quo .

Critics, including Ukrainian officials and EU lawmakers, condemned the decision as a sign of the bloc yielding to blackmail. Latvian MEP Rihards Kols told the Baltic Times that while sectoral sanctions against Russia remained effective, the process for extending individual sanctions was the “Achilles’ heel” of the EU’s approach, requiring unanimous agreement among member states .

The EU’s General Court had previously annulled some sanctions extensions for other Russian figures, citing insufficient justification, but those rulings did not address Usmanov or Fridman .

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