EU extends Ukraine-related sanctions for three years but removes Usmanov and Fridman from the list

Why it matters

The delisting of Usmanov and Fridman created a precedent that allows sanctioned Russian oligarchs to regain EU access and use of frozen assets, weakening the sanctions regime at a moment when Russia shows no readiness to end the war. Several EU governments pushed the removal in moves not coordinated with Ukraine, and a documented timing link connects France's push to delist Usmanov with Azerbaijan's pardon of French citizen Martin Ryan the following day. The episode has prompted calls from inside the EU for moving to qualified majority voting on sanctions to prevent single states from vetoing or unwinding listings.

What happened

On 22 September the EU Council extended restrictive measures against persons responsible for undermining or threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence for an additional 36 months, until 22 September 2029. It was the first time the measures were renewed for three years rather than the standard six months. In the same package the Council excluded Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list, allowing them to again freely enter EU territory and use their personal assets. The regime covers nearly 3,000 persons and entities.

Ukraine reacted sharply. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the delisting shameful and unjustified and said Ukraine would propose new sanctions solutions to the EU. Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk told Politico that Ukraine proposes adding Vladimir Lisin, who controls metallurgical company NLMK, and Vladimir Potanin, who controls nickel producer Nornickel, to the next package of individual EU sanctions as replacements. Vlasiuk argued that their companies benefit Russia's war economy and that listing them would cut NLMK and Nornickel off from EU trade.

The compromise was brokered after Latvia had blocked the package, with Ireland acting as mediator and describing the negotiations as difficult. France, Slovakia and Luxembourg pushed for the delisting; the steps were not coordinated with Ukraine. France's ambassador cited "national security" as the reason, a justification reported as an attempt to free two French citizens detained in Azerbaijan. The day after Usmanov's removal, Azerbaijan pardoned French citizen Martin Ryan, who had been sentenced to 10 years in prison on alleged espionage charges for France.

Several EU member states publicly opposed the delisting. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania announced national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman; Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna signed Estonia's national sanctions order on 23 September from New York and called on other countries to follow. EU diplomats and officials expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, with one calling it "the worst moment" and another saying "nobody is satisfied with this decision." One source said the unanimity principle harms everyone, even France, and that the EU urgently needs to move to qualified majority voting on sanctions.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian outlets centre the story on Ukraine's official reaction, foregrounding Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha's characterisation of the delisting as shameful and unjustified and sanctions commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk's proposal to add Lisin and Potanin. Coverage emphasises damage to trust between Ukraine and the EU and frames the move as a setback for sanctions pressure on Russia's war economy. Ukrainian pieces also highlight the European dependencies that have kept Lisin and Potanin off the list so far — NLMK's plants in Belgium's Wallonia and elsewhere in the EU, and Europe's reliance on Russian nickel and palladium for the automotive industry — and use the diplomats' quotes "the worst moment" and "nobody is satisfied" to validate Kyiv's criticism.

Where reporting differs

Sources differ on how explicitly to frame the link between France's push to delist Usmanov and Azerbaijan's release of Martin Ryan. Some facts describe the "national security" justification as a general attempt to free French detainees, while others report a more specific unpublished deal involving Ryan's pardon the day after the delisting. There is also variation across the facts on which countries backed the delisting: France, Slovakia and Luxembourg are cited as supporters, with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania described as opposing it and announcing national sanctions in response.

Background

The 22 September extension is the first time EU restrictive measures against persons undermining Ukraine have been renewed for three years rather than the standard six months. The sanctions regime covers nearly 3,000 persons and entities. Belgium has opposed listing Lisin because of NLMK's metal-processing facilities in Wallonia; NLMK also has production in France, Italy and Denmark. Europe's reliance on Russian nickel and palladium, particularly for the automotive industry, has been cited as a reason for not sanctioning Potanin. Usmanov and Fridman had been challenging their sanctions for years; Fridman is reportedly seeking at least $16 billion in compensation from Luxembourg over frozen assets. In October, EU member states plan to attempt the largest-ever blacklist expansion of more than 1,600 individuals and companies. Latvia had blocked the package until a compromise was reached, with Ireland acting as mediator.