EU Countries Are Ready to Lift Sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman — Reuters

EU countries are ready to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman — Reuters

Ambassadors of the 27 countries agreed on Monday to lift sanctions on businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, provided that none of the EU governments objects to the move in the next few hours, Reuters writes, citing diplomats.

At the same time, sanctions against thousands of other Russian individuals and legal entities were decided to be extended for three years at once, which, according to the diplomats, is much longer than usual (6 or 12 months).

🔵The European Union imposed sanctions on both businessmen in 2022. On September 14, EU countries extended sanctions against Russia for one week: Europe needed that time to decide on removing Alisher Usmanov, as requested by France and Slovakia, and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list. Slovakia requested that Fridman be removed.

🔵As a compromise, Ireland proposed keeping Usmanov on the list but lifting some restrictions, for example unfreezing his assets and lifting the ban on entering the European Union. Some countries said this would create a dangerous legal precedent.

🩷 Subscribe — @tvrain