Key facts
- EU envoys agreed to lift sanctions on Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
- The agreement was part of a deal to renew sanctions on thousands of other Russian individuals and entities for three years.
- France and Slovakia had pushed for the removal of Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list.
- Luxembourg also demanded the removal of Fridman, arguing its case to maintain sanctions could be weakened if Usmanov were delisted alone.
- The EU imposed sanctions on both men in 2022, citing Usmanov's close ties to President Vladimir Putin.
- Fridman is claiming $16 billion from Luxembourg in an arbitration case.
European Union envoys agreed on Monday to lift sanctions imposed over Russia’s war in Ukraine on businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, diplomats said. The agreement came as part of a package deal to renew sanctions on thousands of other Russian individuals and entities for three years, a significantly longer period than usual.
France and Slovakia had been pushing for the removal of Usmanov from the sanctions list, with Luxembourg subsequently demanding the delisting of Fridman. The EU imposed sanctions on both men in 2022, describing Usmanov as having "particularly close ties" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Fridman is reportedly pursuing a $16 billion claim against Luxembourg.
The push to delist the oligarchs had threatened to block the renewal of approximately 3,000 EU sanctions against Russia, which were set to expire on September 21. While France has not publicly confirmed its role, it reportedly urged the EU to lift sanctions on Usmanov after coming under pressure from Azerbaijan, which has detained French nationals. An Azerbaijani diplomat rejected these assertions.