EU extends Russia sanctions for 36 months as Fridman and Usmanov are delisted

The European Union has agreed to extend its sanctions regime on Russia for 36 months while removing Russian billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov from the blacklist. The compromise was reached after days of disagreement among member states and came as a deadline approached for renewing the measures linked to Russia's war in Ukraine. Ireland, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, said the decision would keep the wider sanctions framework in place until 22 September 2029.

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Diplomats said Latvia dropped its veto after sustained opposition to the exemptions, allowing the deal to go through. The agreement keeps sanctions on about 3,000 other individuals and entities, including President Vladimir Putin, while lifting asset freezes and visa bans on the two businessmen. France and Luxembourg had pushed for the delistings, with officials in Paris citing national security concerns for the request on Usmanov and Luxembourg arguing that Fridman should also be removed if Usmanov was.

Ukraine criticised the move, saying the European Union should be increasing pressure on Moscow rather than easing it for any individuals linked to Russia. The dispute has again exposed the difficulty of maintaining unanimity among the bloc's 27 member states on foreign policy decisions. It also shows how national interests, legal disputes and diplomatic bargaining can shape sanctions policy even when the broader line on Russia remains unchanged.

The sanctions regime is one of the European Union's main tools for responding to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the latest compromise preserves that pressure while creating a narrow exception for two high-profile businessmen. Fridman has been suing Luxembourg over the freezing of his assets, while the request to delist Usmanov was linked by diplomats to wider political considerations in France. The decision is likely to be watched closely because it may influence how future renewals are negotiated and whether individual exemptions become more common in later rounds.

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The immediate question is how the delistings will be implemented and whether any member states will seek to challenge the compromise before the next review. It is also unclear whether the longer 36-month renewal will reduce future disputes or simply postpone them. What happens next will depend on whether the bloc can preserve unity while balancing pressure on Moscow with the separate concerns raised by individual capitals.

The European Union has agreed to remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list, while extending restrictions on nearly 3,000 other individuals and companies linked to Russia's war in Ukraine. The compromise was reached as the bloc faced a deadline to renew the measures, which require unanimous approval from all 27 member states. Ireland's EU presidency described the outcome as a difficult compromise.

Under the deal, the sanctions regime will be renewed for 36 months rather than the usual six-month period, a change officials said would improve the durability and predictability of the framework. The decision followed days of disagreement among member states, with France and Luxembourg among those pushing for the delistings and other governments objecting to any easing. Latvia had also been reported as holding up an earlier attempt to finalise the compromise.

Ukraine criticised the move, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying no name on the sanctions list was there by accident and that each one represented a reason why the war started and continues. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the decision shameful and unjustifiable, arguing that Moscow would see it as a sign of impunity and division among Europeans. The dispute has highlighted how national interests can complicate EU foreign policy when unanimity is required.

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The sanctions regime remains one of the European Union's main tools for maintaining pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. The latest compromise also reflects the bloc's broader effort to keep its restrictive measures intact while managing internal political differences over individual listings. Luxembourg had argued for Fridman's removal as he sues the country over the freezing of his assets, while France's request on Usmanov was linked to national security concerns.

The decision is likely to be watched closely because it sets a precedent for how the EU handles future sanctions renewals and requests for exemptions. It also comes amid continuing debate over whether the bloc should maintain a strict line on Russia or allow selective changes for national reasons. What remains unclear is whether the longer renewal period will reduce future disputes or simply defer them until the next review cycle.

Further questions remain over how the delistings will be implemented and whether any legal or political challenges will follow. It is also not yet clear whether member states that opposed the compromise will seek to revisit the issue before the next review. The outcome shows that even routine sanctions rollovers can become a test of EU unity when the measures intersect with national interests and the war in Ukraine.

EU member states failed on Monday to reach final approval for a deal that would remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the bloc's sanctions list. Diplomats said talks will resume in Brussels on Tuesday at 0600 GMT, with the wider sanctions deadline due later the same day. The dispute has left the 27-nation bloc still trying to secure unanimity on extending measures linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.

According to diplomats, a provisional compromise had been discussed that would have taken Usmanov and Fridman off the blacklist while extending sanctions on almost 3,000 other individuals and entities. That arrangement did not receive final approval after Latvia lodged a last-minute objection, officials said. France and Slovakia had pushed for Usmanov's removal, while Luxembourg argued that if sanctions were lifted on him, they should also be lifted on Fridman.

The disagreement matters because the sanctions regime is one of the European Union's main tools for maintaining pressure on Moscow. More hawkish member states, including Poland and Baltic countries, opposed any easing, arguing that pressure should instead be increased. Ukraine also reacted strongly to the prospect of delisting the two businessmen, with Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga calling it unacceptable and warning that it would send the wrong signal to Moscow.

The talks have also exposed how national interests can complicate the bloc's foreign policy decisions. Officials in Paris cited national security concerns for their request on Usmanov, but did not publicly provide details. Luxembourg has pushed for Fridman's removal, and diplomats said the move comes as he is suing the country for 15 billion euros over the freezing of his assets under EU sanctions.

The current dispute sits within a broader effort by the European Union to keep sanctions aligned with its response to the war in Ukraine. The bloc has repeatedly renewed restrictive measures since Russia's full-scale invasion, and the latest package covers nearly 3,000 people and entities seen as linked to the conflict. In the provisional deal, some states had reportedly accepted a three-year extension of the sanctions regime instead of the usual six-month renewals, showing how the negotiations have become tied to wider political bargaining.

What remains unclear is whether the member states can bridge their differences before the deadline later on Tuesday. It is also not yet known whether the issue of Usmanov and Fridman will be settled as part of the wider rollover or handled separately. The outcome will be closely watched because any delay or split decision could affect the credibility and continuity of the EU sanctions system.

The European Union is racing to extend sanctions on Russia as foreign ministers work to secure a rollover before a deadline later today. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged member states to keep the measures in place, saying sanctions remain a core part of the bloc's response to Russia's war on Ukraine. She made the remarks in New York after a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers, where officials said they wanted the extension completed quickly.

Kallas said the bloc needed stability and that its position had not changed, adding that work was also under way on a new sanctions package. The current effort concerns the extension of sanctions on almost 3,000 individuals and entities linked to the war. Negotiations have continued in Brussels after countries failed yesterday to finalise a deal that would have lifted sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.

The talks have been complicated by disagreements among member states over whether to remove specific names from the blacklist. France and Slovakia pushed for Usmanov to be taken off the list, while Luxembourg said any move to lift sanctions on him should also apply to Fridman. A provisional compromise had reportedly been reached, but it did not receive final approval after Latvia objected at the last moment.

Ukraine reacted strongly to the prospect of easing measures on the two businessmen, while Poland and Baltic states opposed any softening of pressure on Moscow. The dispute matters because the sanctions regime is one of the European Union's main tools for sustaining economic pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Kallas said Moscow was trying to scare Europe into reducing support for Kyiv, and warned that Europe was facing a fast rise in sabotage attacks and airspace violations.

She argued that as Russia is willing to take greater risks, the EU should impose greater costs. The comments underline how sanctions policy has become tied not only to the war itself, but also to wider concerns about European security. The bloc has repeatedly renewed sanctions since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the current package covers a broad list of people and entities seen as supporting the war effort.

The latest negotiations show how unanimity among the 27 member states can make even routine rollovers politically difficult. They also highlight the tension between maintaining pressure on Russia and accommodating national positions on individual listings. That balance has become more sensitive as the war continues and as some governments push for selective changes to the blacklist.

What remains unclear is whether member states will reach agreement in time to avoid any gap in the sanctions regime. Officials are expected to continue talks in Brussels, with the deadline later today adding pressure to the process. It is also not yet clear whether the dispute over Usmanov and Fridman will be resolved separately or folded into the wider rollover.

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