Zelensky Calls EU Decision to Delist Russian Oligarchs Suicidal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the EU member states' decision to remove oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list as suicidal and counterproductive. He made the remark on Tuesday in New York following talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sharply criticized a decision by European Union member states to remove two prominent Russian-born oligarchs, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from the bloc's sanctions list. He described the move as both counterproductive and suicidal.
Remarks made after meeting with von der Leyen
Zelensky delivered his assessment on Tuesday in New York, shortly after concluding talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The source report does not specify the reasoning behind the member states' decision to delist the two businessmen.
Background on Usmanov and Fridman
Both Usmanov and Fridman are well-known Russian-born oligarchs who were placed under EU sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The source text does not provide further details about their business backgrounds or the original grounds for their sanctioning.
Zelensky's comments suggest that Ukraine's leadership views the easing of sanctions on individual oligarchs as a signal that could undermine the broader Western pressure campaign against Russia. However, the source does not elaborate on why this particular decision, in his view, could damage the overall effectiveness of sanctions policy.
