EU removes two oligarchs from Russia sanctions list as deadline looms
Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman delisted in what Ireland’s EU presidency calls ‘a difficult compromise’ for the bloc
TL;DR
- The EU has decided to remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list.
- Nearly 3,000 individuals and companies accused of supporting the war on Ukraine will have their sanctions extended for three years.
- France and Luxembourg requested the removal of Usmanov and Fridman, respectively, citing national security grounds and legal challenges.
- The delistings angered many EU countries, who see it as setting a bad precedent for national interests weakening sanctions.
- Ukraine has condemned the decision as unacceptable, shameful, and unjustifiable, stating that Russia is celebrating a sense of impunity.
- The sanctions list renewal was extended to 36 months from the usual six to facilitate the delistings.
- Latvia initially objected to the delistings but ultimately agreed to abstain.
- The EU plans to present about 1,600 new designations of individuals and entities involved in the Russian military industrial complex next month.