EU Drops Two Russian Billionaires From Sanctions List in Bloc Compromise
Usmanov and Fridman removed from EU blacklist as member states reach last-minute deal to extend Russia war sanctions for three years.
The European Union has removed Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list, a concession made to preserve a broader blacklist targeting nearly 3,000 individuals and entities linked to Russia's war on Ukraine. The delisting was announced as a Tuesday deadline threatened to let the entire sanctions regime lapse without unanimous agreement among EU member states.
Ireland's EU presidency described the outcome as "a difficult compromise," acknowledging that the removal of the two oligarchs was not a widely desired result within the bloc. Despite that reluctance, the 27 member states ultimately yielded to the procedural reality that EU sanctions require unanimous approval — giving any single holdout the power to block renewal of the entire list.
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The broader package of restrictions, covering close to 3,000 individuals and companies accused of supporting Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, was extended for three more years under the agreement. The deal underscores the structural tension within EU sanctions policy, where the unanimity requirement can force the majority to accept concessions to the few in order to protect the larger framework.
Usmanov, a metals and telecoms magnate, and Fridman, a banking and energy tycoon, had both been subject to EU asset freezes and travel bans since shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Their removal marks a notable rollback, even as European officials emphasized that the bulk of the sanctions architecture remains intact.
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