Lithuania freezes assets of Russian oligarchs Fridman and Usmanov after EU delisting

Why it matters

Lithuania's unilateral asset freeze shows that several EU members are prepared to use national tools to keep sanctions in force against Russian individuals even when Brussels lifts them, exposing the fragility of the bloc's unanimous-renewal system. The episode also highlights how bilateral pressure and private legal disputes are reshaping EU sanctions policy: France is reported to have acted under pressure from Azerbaijan, and Luxembourg faces a $16 billion arbitration case from Fridman. Ukrainian officials publicly objected to the delistings, underscoring how internal EU bargaining over individual designations directly affects Ukraine's interests.

What happened

On 14 October Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys announced on X that Lithuania had frozen the assets of Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov under its national sanctions regime. Budrys framed the move as a response to the removal of the two oligarchs from the EU sanctions list, calling the delisting "the wrong signal" and saying sanctions pressure on Russia and those enabling its war must be strengthened and sustained.

Fridman and Usmanov had been removed from the EU list on 22 September, when EU ambassadors agreed to extend individual sanctions against roughly 3,000 persons and entities deemed responsible for threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity and independence by 36 months, until 22 September 2029. Slovakia pushed for Usmanov's removal, with France reported to have subsequently supported the demand. Luxembourg pushed for Fridman's removal; he is pursuing international arbitration against Luxembourg seeking about $16 billion in compensation over frozen assets. France's reported role is tied by several outlets to Azerbaijani pressure after the detention of at least two French citizens, a characterization Azerbaijani diplomats rejected.

Lithuania had already moved ahead of the EU: it began applying national sanctions against the two oligarchs from 25 September, including a reported five-year entry ban. Estonia has imposed its own sanctions, and Latvia opposed the EU delisting and announced plans for national restrictions. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the easing of sanctions unacceptable and said the grounds for the two men's inclusion on the list remain unchanged. Presidential Sanctions Policy Commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk said Ukraine proposed replacing them with Russian oligarchs Vladimir Lisin and Vladimir Potanin.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

All ten sources in the supplied material are Ukrainian-language outlets and agencies, and they frame Lithuania's asset freeze as a direct rebuke of the EU delisting. The coverage highlights Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys's "wrong signal" formulation and emphasizes the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine in explaining the rationale for keeping sanctions in place. Ukrainian sources foreground Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha's characterization of the delistings as unacceptable and the proposal by Presidential Sanctions Policy Commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk to replace the two oligarchs on the EU list with Vladimir Lisin and Vladimir Potanin.

Where reporting differs

Sources disagree on whether France's push to delist Usmanov was driven by Azerbaijani pressure. Several Ukrainian sources say France acted after Azerbaijan detained at least two French citizens, and Reuters is cited as having reported the same characterization. Azerbaijani diplomats rejected that framing, denying that Azerbaijan pressured Paris over the detained citizens. The denials are noted as reported alongside the original claim, not as a settled counter-finding.

Background

The EU personal sanctions regime is renewed every six months and requires unanimous agreement of all 27 member states; failure to agree on renewal would cause the measures to lapse automatically and sanctioned persons and companies to regain access to frozen EU assets. On 22 September the EU Council extended individual sanctions against roughly 3,000 persons and entities deemed responsible for threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence by 36 months, until 22 September 2029. At the same time the Council removed Fridman and Usmanov from the list. Lithuania had already imposed a national entry ban on the two oligarchs and began applying national sanctions from 25 September, including a reported five-year entry ban. Estonia imposed its own sanctions, and Latvia opposed the EU delisting and announced plans for national restrictions. Ukraine separately proposed replacing the two oligarchs on the list with Russian oligarchs Vladimir Lisin, linked to NLMK, and Vladimir Potanin, linked to Nornickel.