Mikhail Mishustin
Mikhail Mishustin is a Russian statesman who has served as Prime Minister of the Russian Federation since January 2020. Before his appointment he headed the Federal Tax Service from 2010 to 2020, where he oversaw a large-scale digitalisation of tax administration. He is regarded as a technocrat focused on economic efficiency and the delivery of state programmes.
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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".