EU may extend Russia sanctions by 3 years in exchange for delisting Usmanov and Fridman
EU diplomats in Brussels are discussing a compromise to extend individual sanctions against Russia by 36 months in exchange for removing oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. A decision could come at today's Coreper meeting.
Diplomats from European Union member states in Brussels are considering a plan to extend individual sanctions against Russia by 36 months while removing two Russian oligarchs, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from the sanctions list. The news outlet "Yevropeiska Pravda" reported this citing several European diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The EU's Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) is reviewing a proposal from the Irish presidency to extend sanctions over violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty for three years. Slovakia continues to insist on removing both Usmanov and Fridman from the list, while France specifically supports delisting Usmanov, citing its national interests.
Sources say a compromise may be approved: delisting both oligarchs in exchange for a 36-month extension of the sanctions regime. Two additional individuals may also be removed from the list under a relevant court ruling, though details on this remain scarce.
The Coreper meeting, which is expected to finalize the decision on extending sanctions, began at 15:00 Kyiv time and is being held behind closed doors, as is customary.
The current sanctions regime, whose list the EU began compiling back in 2014, covers individuals and entities responsible for actions undermining or threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. Since 2022, it has included Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia's ruling elite and leading oligarchs, as well as former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
On September 14, the EU had extended the sanctions regime by only seven days after Slovakia and France continued pushing for the two oligarchs' removal. It has also emerged that France plans to trade Usmanov's delisting for the release of several French citizens currently held in prisons in Azerbaijan. The previous extension of personal sanctions took place on March 14, when Slovakia likewise pushed until the last moment for Fridman and Usmanov to be removed from the list.
