EU renews Ukraine-related sanctions for three years, removes Usmanov and Fridman; Azerbaijan's Aliyev pardons French detainee Martin Ryan
On 22 September 2026, the Council of the European Union extended its Ukraine-related sanctions regime by 36 months, until 22 September 2029. At the same time, the EU removed Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. The day after, on 23 September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree pardoning 20 people, including French citizen Martin Ryan, who had been sentenced to ten years in prison for espionage in March 2026. Reports link France's push for Usmanov's delisting to a non-public arrangement with Azerbaijan over French detainees, including Ryan. Ukraine said it was not consulted and called the decision "shameful".
Key points
- On 22 September 2026 the EU Council extended 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, originally listed on 28 February 2022, were removed from the EU sanctions list as part of the same package.
- The regime covers more than 3,000 individuals and legal entities; inclusion freezes EU assets, bars provision of funds and bans entry/transit for individuals.
- On 23 September 2026 Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree pardoning 20 people, including French citizen Martin Ryan, CEO of Mercorama, who had been sentenced to 10 years for espionage on 16 March 2026.
- Reports link France's push to delist Usmanov to a non-public deal with Azerbaijan for the release of French detainees; Slovakia, France and Luxembourg supported the move, while Latvia publicly opposed it until yielding under pressure.
- Ukraine was not consulted on the delisting; Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk said there were no changed circumstances justifying the move, and Kyiv called the decision 'shameful'.
Why it matters
The package links two normally separate stories: a routine-looking three-year extension of the EU's main Ukraine-related sanctions regime, and a politically charged delisting of two of Russia's most prominent oligarchs, which was reportedly tied to a bilateral deal with Azerbaijan over French detainees. The episode shows how hostage-and-prisoner negotiations between EU member states and third countries can be traded against sanctions decisions, and it underscores friction between Kyiv and key EU capitals at a moment when Ukraine is asking for sustained pressure on Russia.
What happened
On 22 September 2026 the Council of the European Union extended its Ukraine-related sanctions regime for another 36 months, until 22 September 2029. It was the first time the regime, established in March 2014, was renewed for three years instead of the standard six-month cycle. The package covers more than 3,000 individuals and legal entities. As part of the same decision, the Council removed Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list; both had been added on 28 February 2022. Media reports say the initiative to delist them was supported by Slovakia, France and Luxembourg, while Latvia publicly opposed it until the last moment and ultimately abstained. The day after, on 23 September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a pardon decree covering 20 people, including French citizen Martin Ryan, the CEO of Mercorama, who had been detained in Baku in December 2023 and sentenced on 16 March 2026 to ten years for espionage. France rejected the charges. According to the synthesis, France pushed for Usmanov's removal in an attempt to reach a non-public arrangement with Azerbaijan for the release of French citizens including Ryan; Luxembourg, which has been sued by Fridman for at least $16 billion over frozen assets, backed the move as part of the same package.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All the supplied sources are Ukrainian-language outlets, and they uniformly frame the delisting as a politically driven concession rather than a routine adjustment. They stress that the move was taken without coordination with Kyiv and lead with Ukraine's official reaction: Vladyslav Vlasiuk's statement that there are no changed circumstances justifying the delisting, and Kyiv's description of the decision as "shameful". Coverage repeatedly names France, replacing Hungary under Viktor Orban, as the main lobbyist for softening sanctions, and credits Latvia with being the last public defender of Ukraine's position inside the EU before yielding. Ukrainian outlets also frame the package as a "trade in sanctions and hostages", tying France's push on Usmanov directly to the release of French nationals held in Azerbaijan and to Aliyev's pardon of Martin Ryan.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on how to characterise the EU's legal "prop" used to keep the package alive after the missed deadline: most describe it as a routine procedural fix, while one source frames it as a measure adopted "under pressure from Paris and Luxembourg to prevent the complete expiration of the blacklist". Reports also disagree on Latvia's exact posture: most say Latvia "yielded" or "abstained" on the package, while one source frames it as Latvia being "left alone" in opposing the removal.
Background
The EU's Ukraine-related sanctions regime was set up in March 2014 in response to actions undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. Listing under the regime freezes EU-based assets, bars EU persons and companies from providing funds or economic resources to those listed, and imposes an EU entry and transit ban on individuals. Usmanov and Fridman were added on 28 February 2022; the regime now covers more than 3,000 individuals and legal entities. In past debates Hungary under Viktor Orban was the main advocate for softening Russia-related sanctions; in this round France took that role. Fridman has been pursuing court claims against Luxembourg for at least $16 billion in compensation over frozen assets. Martin Ryan, the CEO of Mercorama, was detained in Baku in December 2023 and sentenced on 16 March 2026 to ten years for espionage, charges France rejected.