Diplomats: EU to lift sanctions on Russia-linked businessmen Usmanov and Fridman

European Union envoys agreed on Monday to lift the sanctions imposed over Russia’s war in Ukraine on businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. Diplomats stressed that the sanctions will be lifted as long as no EU government opposes the move within the coming hours.

The agreement of ambassadors from the 27 EU countries came as part of a package deal to renew sanctions on thousands of other Russian individuals and entities for three years — far longer than the usual six- or twelve-month extension periods, diplomats said.

This month France joined Slovakia in pushing for the removal of Russian-Uzbek billionaire Usmanov from the sanctions list. Luxembourg then requested the lifting of sanctions on Fridman, a Russian, according to diplomats.

The EU sanctioned both men in 2022. In sanctioning Usmanov, the EU described him as a person with ‘particularly close ties’ to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Fridman is seeking $16 billion from Luxembourg in a case that has gone to arbitration. EU diplomats said Luxembourg argued that its case for keeping EU sanctions on Fridman could be weakened if Usmanov were removed from the list of defendants alone.