EU removes two Russian billionaires from sanctions list
BRUSSELS — Two of Russia’s wealthiest men could soon be free to operate inside the EU after the bloc moved to remove restrictions on them and their empires as part of a high-stakes diplomatic play.
Capitals struck a deal on Tuesday to cut Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list, five diplomats told POLITICO, granted anonymity to speak frankly.
For more than a week, France had been holding the EU’s entire framework of individual sanctions up as part of an unexpected standoff, risking the 3,000 or so listings expiring if they were not renewed. Earlier talks ended without a deal on Monday night, after Baltic nations initially refused to sign off the deal.
Paris launched a surprise campaign earlier this month calling for sanctions to be dropped on mining and telecommunications billionaire Usmanov and citing a “national security” issue at play. Luxembourg, meanwhile, had long been asking for the de-listing of banking magnate Fridman, who is suing the country for access to assets frozen by the Grand Duchy.
“It is done,” said one of the diplomats. “The question is what Baltic countries got in return.”
The agreement, reached in a meeting of ambassadors behind closed doors, will take effect if capitals submit their written consent by 6 p.m.
Three-year extension
A number of other countries — including Nordic and Baltic nations — had warned the move could jeopardize the entire sanctions list, leading to others lobbying for their specific interests. However, as part of the deal, the current selection of names will be kept in place for three years, effectively freezing any further debate until 2029.
France had riled other EU members by announcing its support for Usmanov at short notice, saying only that it was part of considerations around “a specific national security issue” and that Paris “wishes to respond positively to international partners who have approached us regarding Mr. Usmanov.”
The Financial Times reported that the delisting came as part of a deal that could see French nationals released from detention in Azerbaijan. Paris has significantly stepped up its role in the South Caucasus in support of Armenia, a pro-EU democracy that has spent decades locked in conflict with Azerbaijan.
However, some are concerned about the precedent that would set, if true. “If the reports are confirmed, Europe must not turn sanctions into a bargaining chip,” said Latvian MEP Rihards Kols, a member of the Parliament’s foreign affairs committee. “France has every right and duty to seek the release of its citizens. But the price cannot be relief for a Russian oligarch sanctioned for his links to the Putin regime.”
At the same time, a handful of countries privately expressed frustration that further information had not been provided at Coreper, the meeting of ambassadors where sanctions rollover decisions are taken.
“Ambassadors were told that there are national security reasons. Coreper is not the right place to discuss those in detail,” said a senior French diplomat who was granted anonymity to speak frankly about the sensitive discussions last week. “Member states were told a week ago that if they needed more precision, they could get it through the appropriate channels.”
Usmanov has consistently denied supporting Russia’s war effort, rejected the idea he is an oligarch and campaigned for his removal from the sanctions list, while Fridman has likewise argued the seizure of his assets is unlawful.
This article has been updated.
