Kallas: EU unlikely to re-sanction Usmanov and Fridman in near future
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said on 5 October in Brussels that the European Union is unlikely to return Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman to the EU sanctions list in the near future. Her comments, made after the EU–Moldova Association Council, come despite Ukraine's stated intention to seek their re-sanctioning. Kallas also outlined the EU's broader sanctions work, including about 1,600 new additions under preparation and the recent three-year extension of roughly 3,000 existing entries.
Key points
- Kaja Kallas said on 5 October, after the EU–Moldova Association Council in Brussels, that returning Usmanov and Fridman to EU sanctions is unlikely in the near future.
- On 22 September, EU ambassadors extended individual sanctions for three years against around 3,000 individuals and entities, now running until 22 September 2029.
- Usmanov and Fridman were excluded from the EU sanctions list on 22 September, following lobbying by Slovakia and France (on Usmanov) and Luxembourg (on Fridman).
- Kallas said the EU is working on approximately 1,600 new additions to its sanctions lists.
- Kallas said 2,998 entries will remain in force for three years under decisions adopted two weeks earlier, replacing the previous six-month renewal requirement.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Ukraine plans to seek the restoration of sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman.
- Lithuania and Estonia have imposed their own national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman.
Why it matters
The statement signals that the EU does not intend to reverse the September delisting of two major Russian oligarchs, despite public Ukrainian objections. It also illustrates how individual member states — France, Slovakia and Luxembourg — can shape EU sanctions outcomes through targeted lobbying, and how some member states (Lithuania, Estonia) are responding with national-level measures.
What happened
Speaking to reporters on 5 October after the EU–Moldova Association Council in Brussels, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas was asked about the possibility of returning Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman to the EU sanctions list. She replied that she did not see this happening in the near future regarding the two individuals. Kallas added that the EU is currently working on approximately 1,600 new additions to its sanctions lists and that 2,998 entries would remain in force for three years under decisions adopted two weeks earlier, replacing the previous six-monthly renewal cycle. She stressed that EU member states are free to propose names and that the final decision rests with member states. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has said Ukraine intends to seek the restoration of sanctions against both men, and Lithuania and Estonia have already imposed their own national sanctions.
Where reporting differs
Sources conflict on the reason France pushed to lift Usmanov's sanctions. Some media reports say France acted under Azerbaijani pressure following the detention of French citizens in Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijani diplomats, according to Reuters, denied this.
Background
On 22 September, EU ambassadors extended individual sanctions for three years against approximately 3,000 individuals and legal entities deemed responsible for threats to Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, with the measures now running until 22 September 2029. Usmanov and Fridman were excluded from the sanctions list the same day. Slovakia and France lobbied for Usmanov's removal; media reports link France's push to Azerbaijani pressure after French citizens were detained there, though Azerbaijani diplomats denied this, and shortly after the delisting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned a French citizen previously convicted of espionage. Luxembourg also pushed for Fridman's delisting; Fridman is reportedly suing Luxembourg in international arbitration over $16 billion in frozen assets.