Great Britain will not lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman following the EU

According to Bloomberg, at the same meeting Burnham told Zelenskyy that he disagreed with the EU’s decision to remove Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list.

On September 22, the EU Council removed Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list and at the same time extended restrictions against about three thousand other individuals and legal entities for three years at once — until September 22, 2029. Previously, such measures had to be extended every six months.

France and Slovakia pushed for sanctions to be lifted on Usmanov. Reuters reported that Paris cited national security considerations, and the agency’s sources linked this position to negotiations with Azerbaijan on the release of French citizens.

Luxembourg pushed for Fridman’s removal, against whom the businessman filed an arbitration lawsuit for about $16 billion. Slovakia also opposed maintaining restrictions against Fridman, while Latvia until the end objected to removing both businessmen.

In Great Britain, Usmanov has been under sanctions since March 2022: the authorities froze his assets and banned him from entering the country, explaining the measures by his ties to Vladimir Putin and business in sectors strategically important to the Russian state. Fridman also came under British sanctions in March 2022 because of his ties to Alfa Group, Alfa-Bank, and other companies in the financial sector. Both businessmen remain on the British sanctions list.

Sources

• Material: theins.ru