EU members approve lifting sanctions on two Russian oligarchs while extending others
European Union member states agreed Monday to remove Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list while extending restrictions on nearly 3,000 other entities.
Compromise reached before deadline
Diplomats confirmed that the 27 member states found a solution just before the Tuesday deadline to keep the overall blacklist intact. This agreement allowed for the delisting of the two billionaires despite very few countries initially wanting this specific outcome.
France and Luxembourg push for removal
France requested Usmanov's removal on national security grounds, reportedly linking it to a prisoner exchange deal involving French nationals. Luxembourg subsequently asked for the same treatment for Fridman, who is suing the Grand Duchy for billions over frozen assets.
Critics call move shameful
Ukraine criticized the decision as unacceptable, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stating that no name on the list is there by accident. The Ukrainian foreign minister described the action as shameful and unjustifiable to many EU countries concerned about setting a bad precedent.
All 2 outlets report consistently
No differences in figures, names or dates across these reports.
- France 24
- The Guardian
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2 independent outlets. Headlines as published. Links open the original report.