EU extends Russia-related sanctions for three years, removing Usmanov and Fridman in compromise
EU ambassadors agreed on 22 September to extend EU sanctions linked to Ukraine's territorial integrity for 36 months, until 22 September 2029. The deal, the first for three years instead of the usual six months, saved a regime covering nearly 3,000 individuals and entities that was due to lapse at midnight. It came at the cost of removing Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list, a move Ukraine's government publicly criticised and that Latvia, Lithuania and others opposed.
Key points
- EU ambassadors agreed on 22 September to extend Ukraine-related sanctions for 36 months, until 22 September 2029 — the first three-year renewal instead of the usual six-month cycle.
- Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were removed from the sanctions list as part of the compromise.
- The regime covers nearly 3,000 individuals and legal entities; Latvian government statements cited more than 2,600.
- Slovakia demanded both oligarchs be delisted; France pushed specifically for Usmanov; one source adds that Luxembourg pushed for Fridman.
- Latvia publicly opposed the delisting throughout and abstained in the final vote; Lithuania also opposed removing individuals from the list.
- Latvia's cabinet ordered its Foreign Ministry to prepare national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman, and Latvia announced it would use legal tools to keep their assets blocked.
- Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Latvia for not supporting the removal; Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the delisting 'shameful and unjustified' and called on EU states to impose their own national sanctions.
Why it matters
Without unanimous agreement, the EU's Ukraine-territorial-integrity sanctions regime would have lapsed automatically at midnight on 22 September, unlocking the assets of roughly 3,000 listed individuals and entities inside the EU. The three-year extension — the first ever instead of the usual six-month rollover — makes the sanctions regime more predictable and harder to disrupt in future renewals, but the price was delisting two of Russia's best-known billionaires. Ukraine's government publicly denounced that trade-off, and several member states including Latvia refused to support it, exposing fresh divisions inside the EU over how to handle individual sanctions against Russians close to the Kremlin. Latvia's decision to impose its own national sanctions against the two oligarchs points to a growing workaround in which EU member states use national tools to plug gaps left by EU-level delistings.
What happened
EU ambassadors reached a preliminary agreement on the morning of 22 September in Brussels to extend the EU's Ukraine-territorial-integrity sanctions regime for 36 months, until 22 September 2029. The deal was brokered by the Irish EU Council Presidency as a compromise after Slovakia and France insisted on the removal of Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. Slovakia pushed for both names; France pushed specifically for Usmanov, with one source adding Luxembourg also pushed for Fridman's removal. Latvia was the only EU member state to maintain public opposition to the delisting until the end of negotiations. The vote on 21 September had not completed because of Latvia's stand, and on 22 September Latvia lifted its veto and abstained in the Council vote while publicly recording its political disagreement. Lithuania also publicly opposed removing individuals from the list. The extension keeps asset freezes and entry bans in force against nearly 3,000 individuals and legal entities (the Latvian government cited more than 2,600), with new listings in preparation, and for the first time runs for three years rather than the standard six-month cycle. The Latvian Cabinet of Ministers instructed its Foreign Ministry to prepare national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman and said it would use all available legal tools to prevent the unblocking of their funds in Latvia. As part of broader talks, French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly agreed to begin negotiations with Latvia on joining a French nuclear deterrence initiative and to strengthen France's military presence in Latvia, including air-defence assets. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Latvia for not supporting the delisting, and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the decision 'shameful and unjustified,' said Moscow is celebrating, and called on EU states to impose their own national sanctions on the two oligarchs.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on the total number of individuals and entities covered by the renewed regime: most cite about 3,000, while Latvian government statements refer to more than 2,600. Sources also differ on which country pushed specifically for the delisting of Mikhail Fridman: most point to Slovakia alone, which demanded both oligarchs be removed, but one source adds that Luxembourg pushed specifically for Fridman's removal.
Background
The EU sanctions regime on Ukraine's territorial integrity has been in place since 2014 and was widened in 2022 to include Vladimir Putin, the Russian leadership, leading oligarchs and former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Renewals previously took place every six months and required unanimity among all 27 EU member states; failure to agree would have caused the measures to lapse automatically. On 14 September 2026 the EU extended the regime for only seven days because Slovakia and France kept insisting on removing two oligarchs; a previous renewal on 14 March had seen Slovakia push until the last moment over the same names. According to sources, France's push for Usmanov was linked to a possible deal with Azerbaijan over French citizens held there, while Fridman reportedly has a $16 billion arbitration claim against Luxembourg. Lithuania also publicly opposed removing individuals from EU sanctions lists.