European Union governments have renewed sanctions on roughly 3,000 people and entities linked to Russia while removing Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list, a compromise that exposed how legal challenges and national interests are reshaping the bloc’s sanctions policy.
The decision was completed by written procedure on Tuesday after Latvia, the last holdout, abstained. That allowed the rollover to pass because the measures require unanimity. In return for the two removals, member states accepted a three-year renewal for the remaining listings, replacing the usual six-month cycle.
Usmanov and Fridman had been subject to asset freezes, travel restrictions and transaction bans since 2022. France pressed for Usmanov’s removal, citing national-security concerns, while Luxembourg supported delisting Fridman, who has brought a $16 billion claim against the country. Latvia said it may now consider national restrictions of its own.
The legal importance lies beyond the two names. Sanctions listings are administrative measures that must withstand judicial review, yet their renewal is also a political act requiring agreement among 27 governments. Extending the cycle to three years may reduce the frequency of diplomatic crises, but it also makes the quality of the underlying evidence—and the availability of an effective challenge—more consequential.
Ukraine’s foreign minister sharply criticised the removals. The decision is final at the political level, although individual listings and delistings remain open to challenge before the European Union courts.
Official EU sanctions framework
