Due to the resistance of individual member states, there was a danger that the new EU sanctions against Russia would be blocked. After long negotiations, a solution was found - the EU is removing Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list of sanctioned individuals and organizations. This was reported by ARD, citing an EU diplomat.
At the same time, the EU sanctions against the remaining approximately 3,000 people and organizations were extended by 36 months. The usual practice so far was to extend the period of validity by only six months, the German public media recalls.
Latvia abstains
According to information from diplomatic circles in Brussels, Latvia was the last country to withdraw its resistance in order not to block the agreement any longer. Until then, the Baltic state had insisted that Usmanov and Fridman not be among those sanctioned.
The role of France and Slovakia
The lifting of the sanctions against Usmanov was primarily demanded by France and Slovakia. Paris justified its request with issues related to “national security“, without announcing further details. A senior diplomat in Brussels told the Agence France-Presse news agency that Paris had linked its request to a possible agreement on French citizens detained in Azerbaijan.
For its part, Luxembourg was prepared to approve Usmanov's removal from the sanctions list only if sanctions against banking magnate Fridman were also lifted. Fridman has filed a lawsuit against Luxembourg for compensation of about 16 billion euros because of the freezing of his assets in that country.
The deadline for extending the sanctions expired at midnight, and an extension would require a unanimous decision by EU countries. The sanctions include an asset freeze, as well as a ban on entry and business activity in EU countries for the sanctioned individuals and organizations.
Ukraine insists on national sanctions against the two
Usmanov and Fridman are among dozens of Russian businessmen who are seeking their rights in court because of the sanctions. Both have been on the sanctions list since 2022. Brussels accuses them of generating significant revenues for the Kremlin through their companies.
Their removal from the sanctions list has caused discontent in Brussels. "This really sends a signal that through blackmail one can be excluded from the list," an unnamed EU diplomat was quoted as saying by ARD.
The decision is "shameful and unjustified," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha said, adding that he would call on all EU member states to impose sanctions against them at the national level.
Latvia has already approved national sanctions against Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, while Lithuania and Estonia have initiated similar procedures after the businessmen were removed from the European Union's sanctions list.
Emilian Lilov (editor)