EU faces backlash after lifting sanctions on Russian billionaires
The European Union faced a growing backlash on Wednesday for lifting sanctions on two Russian billionaires, with some of its members saying the move undermined a pillar of support for Ukraine’s war effort and that it signalled the bloc would bow to blackmail. Following pressure from France and despite pleas by Ukraine, the EU agreed … The post EU faces backlash after lifting sanctions on Russian…
The European Union faced growing criticism on Wednesday for lifting sanctions on two Russian billionaires, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, according to Reuters. France privately informed its partners that Azerbaijan was using Usmanov's case to pressure Paris over detained French citizens, while Azerbaijan's president pardoned a jailed French national a day later.
France's move prompted Luxembourg to demand similar treatment for Fridman, who filed a $16 billion claim against Luxembourg for asset freezes. Bill Browder, a British financier opposing Putin, warned that every sanctioned Russian oligarch might now seek leverage from "tinpot dictatorships" to have sanctions lifted. France justified the move as crucial for national security, linking it to the renewal of sanctions against about 3,000 others for three years.
Baltic states criticized the decision, with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna expressing concern about signaling Russia's pressure on Ukraine.
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