EU Removes Usmanov and Fridman from Sanctions List
Regarding the decision by European diplomats to extend sanctions against Russia for three years, excluding billionaires Alisger Usmanov and Mikhail Friedman from the lists, Reuters reports that Usmanov and Friedman have been removed from the sanctions lists.
Consensus
- The European Union removed Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridmanfrom its sanctions list.
- The EU extended sanctions against over 3,000 individuals and entities for three years.
- Sanctions were previously renewed every six months.
- The decision was made by EU ambassadors on September 22.
- France supported the removal of Usmanov, citing diplomatic pressure from Azerbaijan.
- Luxembourg supported the removal of Fridman, linked to a legal case involving a $16 billion claim.
- Latvia initially opposed the removal but later allowed the agreement to proceed through constructive abstention.
- Usmanov and Fridman were added to the sanctions list in 2022.
- The EU's sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans.
- The decision was reported by Reuters, Euronews, and other media outlets.
Points of divergence
- The final decision on Fridman and Usmanov was political, not judicial. Luxembourg intervened for Fridman due to a lawsuit, and France for Usmanov in exchange for a pardon for a French citizen convicted in Azerbaijan. — meduza
- Latvia opposed the removal of sanctions, and France and Luxembourg advocated for the removal of Usmanov and Fridman respectively. — riamo
- The EU published the decision in its official journal, including the exclusion of three individuals and one company. Usmanov's legal team reported over 3,200 corrected media articles about him between 2022 and 2026. — kommersant
- France claimed pressure from Azerbaijan led to the removal of Usmanov. A German court lifted the arrest on Usmanov's yacht Dilbar in 2024. Media in Germany removed articles about the yacht to avoid legal disputes. — mediazona
- Slovakia blocked the extension of sanctions, forcing a compromise. France justified Usmanov's removal through a deal for the release of French nationals in Azerbaijan. — tg_currenttime
- Latvia blocked the agreement, and without a consensus, sanctions would have expired at midnight. — tg_echoonline_news
Coverage (7 sources)
- Triumph of greed, depravity and hypocrisy. EU sanctions lifted from Usmanov and Friedman. How the Russian opposition, Ukraine and the EU itself reacted to this — Meduza
- Reuters: European Union lifted sanctions on Russian businessmen Friedman and Usmanov — РИАМО
- European Union lifted sanctions on Usmanov and Friedman — Коммерсантъ
- EU representatives agreed to lift sanctions on Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Friedman — Latvia introduced its own restrictions against them — Медиазона
- European Union decided to lift sanctions on Russian businessmen Alisger Usmanov and Mikhail Friedman. Restrictions on the remaining three thousand people and companies were extended immediately for three years — Meduza
- Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were removed from EU sanctions lists — Настоящее Время
- Usmanova and Friedman removed from sanctions lists — ЭХО / Новости
Key entities
- Michael Friedman
- Alisher Usmanov
- European Union
- Russia
- EU
- Reuters
- Latvia
- France
- Ukraine
- Euronews
- Alpha Group
- Council
- European Union
- PhotoBank Lori
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