Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has rejected proposals to lift European Union sanctions against Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
Sybiha responded on social media to reports that the European Union could significantly weaken or remove penalties targeting the two billionaires. He declared that removing them from blacklists was unacceptable and warned that doing so would send the wrong signal to Moscow at a time when economic pressure should instead be increased.
Writing on social media, Sybiha pointed out that Usmanov and Fridman were originally placed on the sanctions list because they form part of Russia's aggressive regime conducting a war of aggression against Ukraine. Asking what had changed since their inclusion, the minister stated that nothing had changed to warrant their removal.
Rather than rolling back measures, Sybiha argued that European nations must intensify their stance against Moscow. He urged member states to strengthen existing sanctions, expand individual blacklists, and extend sanction renewal periods from six months to twelve months, arguing that longer terms would reduce counterproductive proposals aimed at indulging Russian oligarchs.
Slovakia and France press to remove billionaires
The diplomatic standoff comes as European Union member states struggle to reach consensus on maintaining their broader sanctions framework. Member states failed earlier this month to agree on renewing restrictions against Russia despite numerous attempts prior to September 15, when the existing measures were set to expire.
European officials were forced to extend the decision deadline to September 22 to prevent the sanctions from lapsing. The agreement, which would keep the restrictive measures in place for another six months, has been stalled by Slovakia's demand to remove Usmanov and Fridman from the EU sanctions list. France has also supported Slovakia's request regarding Usmanov.
Both oligarchs have sought relief from European sanctions through legal channels, yielding mixed results. Usmanov launched a court challenge to overturn his inclusion on the blacklist, but his appeal was unsuccessful. Fridman succeeded in winning court rulings that annulled earlier sanction acts covering 2022 and 2023, but those decisions did not terminate his continued placement on subsequent EU sanctions lists.
Unanimity rules create diplomatic leverage
European Union sanction regimes require the unanimous agreement of all 27 member states to be renewed, giving individual nations substantial leverage during negotiation cycles. Under standard EU procedures, economic and individual sanctions against Russian entities and prominent figures undergo review every six months, requiring full consensus to remain active.
Usmanov is a metals and telecommunications tycoon who built his fortune in Russia, while Fridman is a co-founder of Alfa Group, one of Russia's largest private financial and commercial conglomerates. Both figures are among Russia's most prominent billionaires and have faced international scrutiny since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
European Union diplomats now have until September 22 to resolve internal disagreements and achieve unanimous approval among member states to keep the sanctions package in force.
