The European Union is currently at an impasse regarding a proposal to remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list. This dispute is part of a broader effort to maintain sanctions on nearly 3,000 individuals and companies accused of enabling Russia's war in Ukraine.
EU ambassadors failed to reach an agreement in Brussels during a meeting early on Tuesday, their third session on the matter in approximately 24 hours. They are scheduled to reconvene later today, September 22, 2026, ahead of a legal deadline.
Without an agreement by the end of today, sanctions on nearly 3,000 people and entities accused of supporting the war in Ukraine are set to lapse. The current list includes figures such as Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov, as well as major Russian banks, energy companies, and the military industrial complex.
Latvia has emerged as a key blocker of the agreement, expressing strong objections to the proposed delistings. Latvia's Prime Minister, Andris Kulbergs, stated that while extending sanctions for 36 months would be appropriate, the price should not be the removal of these two individuals from the list. France and Slovakia are reportedly demanding the delistings, with France citing national security grounds, which the Financial Times has linked to a prisoner exchange deal with Azerbaijan.