Key facts
- Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia reimposed national sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
- The EU delisted Usmanov and Fridman from sanctions on September 22.
- France and Slovakia led the EU's decision to remove the oligarchs from the sanctions list.
- Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Belgium abstained from a vote to allow remaining EU sanctions to hold.
- Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs called the EU agreement a choice between 'a bad and a much worse' solution.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha praised Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia on September 23 for reimposing national sanctions against Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, who had been delisted from EU restrictions the previous day. Sybiha urged other EU members to emulate the Baltic states' actions, stating it was the "best way to demonstrate that principles are not for sale." The EU's decision to remove Usmanov and Fridman from its sanctions list on September 22 was reportedly driven by a desire to free two French citizens held prisoner in Azerbaijan. The decision came less than six hours before the entire list of 3,000 EU sanctions against Russia was due to expire. Latvia had made a last-ditch effort to persuade France to reconsider the delisting. Ultimately, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Belgium abstained to permit a compromise that would preserve the remaining EU sanctions. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs described the EU agreement as a choice between "a bad and a much worse" solution, prompting Riga to announce its own sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman, with Estonia and Lithuania soon following suit.