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 extends Ukraine sanctions for three years but drops Usmanov and Fridman, prompting Ukrainian criticism
On 22 September, the EU Council extended Ukraine-related sanctions for 36 months until 22 September 2029, the first time the regime has been renewed for three years instead of the usual six-month cycle. In the same decision, the EU removed Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. Ukraine called the delisting "shameful" and unjustified, and the Baltic states announced national sanctions in response. A day later, on 23 September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned French citizen Martin Ryan, who had been sentenced to ten years in prison on espionage charges that France rejects.