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● LIVE Updated 1h ago · 8 sources tracked

EU renews Russia sanctions, drops Russian billionaires Usmanov and Fridman

The European Union has renewed its sanctions against Russia but removed billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Petr Fridman from its blacklist. The decision follows internal disputes, with France reportedly pushing to spare Usmanov and the Latvian Prime Minister opposing the move. Ukraine has expressed anger over the removal of the oligarchs. The action took place as a deadline for the sanctions renewal approached, despite warnings from Latvia that selective sanctions normalize Russia's position.

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  • ✓ The EU renewed sanctions against Russia.
  • ✓ Billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Petr Fridman were removed from the EU sanctions list.
  • ✓ Ukraine expressed anger over the removal of the Russian oligarchs.
🛡️ Source Corroboration: 8 independent reporting domains (80% confidence) ⏱ Read time: ~2 min

What changed

The EU officially dropped Alisher Usmanov and Petr Fridman from the Russia sanctions list during a general renewal of the blacklist.

Live updates

  1. EU renews Russia sanctions but removes billionaires Usmanov and Fridman

    The European Union has renewed its sanctions against Russia but removed billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Petr Fridman from its blacklist. The decision follows internal disputes, with France reportedly pushing to spare Usmanov and the Latvian Prime Minister opposing the move. Ukraine has expressed anger over the removal of the oligarchs. The action took place as a deadline for the sanctions renewal approached, despite warnings from Latvia that selective sanctions normalize Russia's position.

    Why it matters

    EU sanctions serve as a primary diplomatic and economic tool to pressure Russia into ending its aggression. Removing high-profile individuals from these lists can signal a weakening of unity among member states. The dispute highlights the tension between national interests and collective EU foreign policy.

    What is confirmed

    • The EU renewed sanctions against Russia.
    • Billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Petr Fridman were removed from the EU sanctions list.
    • Ukraine expressed anger over the removal of the Russian oligarchs.

    Still unconfirmed

    • France blocked EU sanctions to spare oligarch Alisher Usmanov.
    • The Latvian Prime Minister opposed the deal to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman.
    • Latvia blocked a deal to renew the EU Russia blacklist.
    • The Latvian Prime Minister warned that cherry-picking sanctions normalizes Russia.

    What to watch next

    • Official EU documentation detailing the legal justification for removing Usmanov and Fridman
    • Further diplomatic responses from the Ukrainian government regarding EU unity
    Sources used for this update (9)
    1. France 24 — Live: Russia says it hit Ukrainian cargo vessels, Izmail port and logistics centre
    2. euractiv.com — Latvia blocks deal to renew EU’s Russia blacklist
    3. Reuters — Latvian PM opposes deal to lift sanctions on Russia-linked billionaires Usmanov and Fridman
    4. The Washington Post — France blocks E.U. sanctions on Russia in push to spare oligarch Usmanov
    5. Reuters — EU renews Russia sanctions, drops Russian billionaires Usmanov and Fridman
    6. Financial Times — EU to lift sanctions on two Russian oligarchs
    7. The Guardian — EU removes oligarchs from Russia sanctions list as deadline looms
    8. BBC — Ukraine anger as EU removes Russian oligarchs from sanctions list
    9. Euronews.com — 'Cherry-picking sanctions' normalises Russia, Latvian PM warns
    confidence 80%
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