Ambassadors of European Union countries reached an agreement on Monday to lift sanctions imposed in connection with the situation in Ukraine against entrepreneurs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. This decision is possible provided that no government of the community raises objections within the coming hours.
According to information provided by Reuters, the agreement reached between representatives of 27 EU countries is part of a broader package deal. This deal provides for the extension of sanctions against thousands of other Russian individuals and legal entities for a period of three years, which significantly exceeds the standard extension periods of six or twelve months.
EU Countries Joining the Exclusion of Usmanov
Despite surprise and dissatisfaction from some EU states, France joined Slovakia this month in seeking the exclusion of Russian and Uzbek billionaire Usmanov from the sanctions list. Following this, Luxembourg demanded the exclusion of Mikhail Fridman.
France called on the European Union to lift sanctions against Usmanov. This step was taken after France faced pressure from Azerbaijan, which detained at least two French citizens last week. Three European diplomats told Reuters that a high-ranking Azerbaijani official denied these claims on Friday.
France has not officially confirmed that it is seeking the lifting of EU sanctions against Usmanov, which include a travel ban within the bloc and asset freezing. The European Union imposed restrictions on both businessmen in 2022, justifying the restrictions against Usmanov due to his 'particularly close ties' with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Situation with Fridman and Luxembourg
As for Fridman, he is filing a lawsuit for $16 billion in arbitration proceedings. EU diplomats clarified that Luxembourg believed its position regarding maintaining sanctions against Fridman could be weakened if Usmanov were excluded from the lists alone.