The EU has agreed to remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list, while extending restrictions on nearly 3,000 individuals and companies for another three years. Ireland's EU presidency called the move a 'difficult compromise' as Ukraine expressed anger.
Key facts
- Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman have been removed from the EU's Russia sanctions list.
- Restrictions on nearly 3,000 individuals and companies were extended for three years.
- The delisting came ahead of an end-of-Tuesday deadline to preserve the Russia blacklist.
- Ireland's EU presidency described the outcome as 'a difficult compromise'.
- Kyiv said the move sent Moscow the wrong signals.
The European Union has agreed to remove two Russian billionaires, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from its sanctions list, while extending restrictions on nearly 3,000 individuals and companies accused of supporting the war on Ukraine for the next three years, according to the Guardian.
The decision came with an end-of-Tuesday deadline looming to preserve the Russia blacklist. The EU’s 27 member states found a compromise that meant delisting the two oligarchs, despite very few countries wanting this outcome, the Guardian reported.
EU sanctions must be approved unanimously, meaning agreement from all 27 member states is required to maintain the measures. That requirement helps explain why the bloc arrived at a compromise to keep the broader blacklist in place.
Ireland’s EU presidency described the move as ‘a difficult compromise’ for the bloc, the Guardian reported. The framing underscores the tension between preserving the wider sanctions regime and the concessions needed to secure unanimous backing.
The two men both have close ties to President Putin, according to the BBC. Kyiv reacted with anger to the delisting, saying the move sent Moscow the wrong signals, the BBC reported.
Why it matters
EU sanctions on Russia are a central tool in the bloc's response to the war on Ukraine, and any delisting draws scrutiny over whether pressure on Moscow is being maintained. Because sanctions require unanimity, the episode highlights how a single deadline can force trade-offs that ripple across foreign policy and business interests.
Frequently asked questions
Who was removed from the EU sanctions list?
Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were removed from the EU's Russia sanctions list, according to the Guardian.
Did the EU keep other sanctions in place?
Yes. The EU extended restrictions on nearly 3,000 individuals and companies accused of supporting the war on Ukraine for the next three years, the Guardian reported.
Why did the EU agree to delist the oligarchs?
EU sanctions must be approved unanimously by all 27 member states. Facing an end-of-Tuesday deadline to preserve the blacklist, member states reached what Ireland's EU presidency called 'a difficult compromise' that meant delisting the two men, even though very few countries wanted that outcome.