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3w ago

EU Removes Two Oligarchs From Sanctions List to Secure Three-Year Extension

The compromise preserved a 36-month extension for roughly 3,000 Russia-linked listings while prompting warnings that the swap could weaken the legal and political strength of the EU sanctions regime.

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Der Tanker „Kairos“ liegt nach einem mutmaßlichen Angriff ukrainischer Seedrohnen vor der bulgarischen Küste. Das Schiff soll zur russischen Schattenflotte gehört haben (Archivbild)
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Overview

  • EU ambassadors agreed on the package on Tuesday and formalised it by written procedure after Latvia stopped blocking the deal and recorded an abstention that allowed the decision to pass.
  • As part of the agreement Alischer Usmanow and Michail Fridman were removed from the EU personal sanctions list while sanctions on about 3,000 other people and organisations were extended for 36 months.
  • France and the Slovak Republic pressed for Usmanow’s delisting and Luxembourg conditioned its support on removing Fridman, with Fridman’s multi-billion-euro legal claims against Luxembourg cited as a key factor in the bargaining.
  • Ukraine and several Baltic states strongly criticised the outcome, with Kyiv calling the move unacceptable and some governments saying they will consider national measures to keep pressure on the two men.
  • The deal reflects a trade-off driven by the EU’s unanimity rule and a desire to avoid the list expiring, but diplomats warn it may invite more litigation and set a precedent for politicised bargaining over sanctions decisions.