EU may extend Russia sanctions until 2029 without Russian oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman, with vote still to come

The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU (Coreper) reached a preliminary agreement on 22 September to extend sanctions against Russia for 36 months while removing Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list.

Source: a European Pravda correspondent citing two European diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity

Details: Diplomats in Brussels again reached a preliminary agreement on 22 September to extend sanctions against Russia over violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity while removing two Russian billionaires from the list.

"Coreper again discussed the extension of sanctions, and there is hope that agreement can be reached on the Irish presidency's compromise proposal," one source said.

The diplomat added that the sanctions are expected to be extended for 36 months, i.e. until 22 September 2029.

The two Russian oligarchs will be removed from the sanctions list, and the decision will be adopted through a written procedure due to begin shortly.

Another diplomat confirmed to European Pravda that EU ambassadors have apparently agreed to remove Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list.

Background:

• An attempt to adopt a compromise decision via written procedure was launched on the evening of 21 September.
• However, during the written voting procedure Latvia initially objected in private and then publicly opposed the compromise. Any decision requires unanimous approval.
• Currently, 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 remain in force until midnight on 22 September.
• 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 and leading oligarchs, as well as former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych.
• As reported by European Pravda, 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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