EU Removes Billionaires Usmanov and Fridman From Sanctions List
The EU also rolled over the remaining 3,000 individuals and entities on its Russia sanctions list for another three years, diplomats said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged European Union nations to retain oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman on the sanctions list following final talks in Brussels. The EU blacklist could lapse if ambassadors cannot reach an agreement by Tuesday's deadline. Zelenskyy emphasized that the world needs an unconditional continuation of individual sanctions, not a political delisting, until Russia initiates meaningful peace negotiations and halts the war against Ukraine.
The billionaire businessmen, sanctioned early in the conflict, might be removed in a compromise to satisfy France, which has been attempting to remove Usmanov as part of a prisoner exchange with Azerbaijan. Slovakia has consistently advocated for the removal of both names from the sanctions list. Luxembourg has stated that if Usmanov is removed from the list, Fridman should follow suit.
Fridman has filed a $16 billion claim against Luxembourg in relation to his frozen assets. Latvia proposed a 36-month extension of individual sanctions, but its proposal was vetoed by the Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, who argued that the price for the extension could not be the removal of the two businessmen. Zelenskyy personally thanked Kulbergs for his stance.
Amid Russia's escalating civilian killings through drone and ballistic missile attacks, Zelenskyy urged the strengthening of pressure on Moscow, particularly against enablers of Putin's war. He emphasized that every crime against peaceful Ukrainians should remain on the sanctions lists. His call for action came as he attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, it remains uncertain whether the sensitive issue was discussed. While ambassadors in Brussels failed to find a solution on Tuesday morning, they are scheduled to meet again at 16.00 CET. The compromise being considered mirrors the proposal discussed on Monday. Notably, Russia has endorsed the effort to exempt the oligarchs, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that they believe the sanctions should be lifted for Usmanov, Fridman, and all Russian businesspeople and citizens.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
