‘A triumph of money, filth, and hypocrisy’: EU decision to lift sanctions on Russian billionaires Fridman and Usmanov draws backlash
The European Union maintains a large sanctions list drawn up in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It includes more than 3,000 people and companies. EU countries used to review the list every six months. On September 22, they agreed to extend it for a full three years, but with an important caveat: two billionaires with close ties to Russia, Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov, were…
The European Union has decided to lift sanctions on Russian billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov, sparking outrage from critics. The EU maintains a sanctions list in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which includes over 3,000 individuals and companies. Despite long-standing efforts for the billionaires to have the sanctions removed, their cases were resolved through political intervention rather than judicial means.
Luxembourg intervened on behalf of Fridman, while France secured a pardon for one of its citizens in exchange for Usmanov's removal from the list. This decision has been met with strong criticism from Russian opposition figures, Ukrainian officials, and European politicians. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition politician, condemned the decision, stating that it shows money still holds more power than principles in big politics.
Leonid Volkov, head of political projects at the Anti-Corruption Foundation, called it a triumph of money, filth, and hypocrisy, emphasizing that those who fled Russia due to political persecution or the draft face significant obstacles, while the wealthy can easily have sanctions lifted.
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