Ukraine anger as EU lifts sanctions on Russian oligarchs Usmanov, Fridman

Leonid Volkov, the head of political projects at the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), has expressed his disapproval of the European Union's decision to lift sanctions on billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. In a Telegram post, Volkov called the move "shameful" and emphasized that it sets a "terrible precedent." He argued that Fridman, in particular, did not have to take any public actions against Putin's regime to secure the sanctions relief, as he had already contributed substantially to Ukraine.

Four years ago, Volkov had proposed a similar course of action himself, advocating for clear and transparent mechanisms that would enable businesspeople like Fridman to earn sanctions relief in exchange for concrete steps that weaken Putin's regime. Volkov described the lifting of sanctions on Usmanov as a "moral catastrophe," noting that Usmanov is seen as a leading pro-Kremlin oligarch and secured his removal from the sanctions list by taking hostages.

FBK leader Yulia Navalnaya supported Volkov's stance, highlighting that Europe's decision to lift sanctions seemed to be more influenced by a person's wealth and connections rather than their political stance. Volkov had previously signed a letter to the European Commission in 2022, requesting the lifting of sanctions on Fridman and other senior Alfa Group executives, proposing that the EU adopt a set of criteria for removing people from the sanctions list.