EU fails to extend Russia sanctions, next attempt on 22 September

Tetyana Vysotska, Tetyana Oliynyk - 21 September, 23:45

Photo: Getty Images

The Committee of Permanent Representatives of EU member states (Coreper) failed late on the evening of 21 September to adopt a decision extending sanctions over violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty (the so-called "sanctions against Putin") and scheduled the next meeting for the morning of 22 September.

Source: European Pravda, citing several European diplomats

Details: The EU has not yet reached a consensus on extending personal sanctions against Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, former Ukrainian MP Viktor Medvedchuk, former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and roughly 3,000 other individuals and legal entities responsible for the war against Ukraine.

"In the evening, Coreper made an attempt by written procedure to adopt a decision extending the sanctions regime linked to the undermining of Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence for a period of 36 months – that is, for three years – but not all states submitted their voting results," one of European Pravda's sources reported.

It is worth noting that at the same time, the compromise envisaged the removal of Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the lists at the demand of Slovakia and France.

It is currently unknown which specific states "thwarted" the removal of Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list in exchange for a 36-month extension of the sanctions regime.

The next meeting of EU ambassadors will begin on 22 September at 09:00 Kyiv time.

Background:

The current sanctions regime, the list for which the EU began compiling back in 2014, covers individuals and legal entities responsible for actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine. Since 2022, it has included Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, Russia's ruling elite, leading oligarchs and Viktor Yanukovych.
On 14 September, Coreper extended the sanctions regime for violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty for seven days as Slovakia and France continued to insist that the two Russian oligarchs be removed from the list.
European Pravda sources in French diplomatic circles explained why Paris wants to lift sanctions on Usmanov. It later emerged that France plans to "exchange" Usmanov's delisting for the release of several French citizens who are currently in prison in Azerbaijan.
The last extension of personal sanctions took place on 14 March. On that occasion, too, Slovakia pushed until the last minute for Fridman and Usmanov to be removed from the list.

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