The EU agreed Tuesday to lift asset freezes and travel bans on billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman despite Ukraine’s pleas. The move drew criticism, while Russia-related sanctions on about 3,000 other people and organisations were renewed for three years.
France privately told EU partners that Azerbaijan was using Usmanov’s sanctions case to pressure Paris over two French citizens held there, three diplomats told Reuters. On Wednesday, Azerbaijan’s president pardoned a French national jailed for espionage; Paris called it a “humanitarian gesture.” Luxembourg also demanded that Fridman receive the same treatment; he has launched a $16 billion claim against Luxembourg over its freezing of his assets.
Ukraine’s sanctions commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk said he was shocked by the decision. He welcomed the three-year renewal but questioned whether it was worth removing two high-profile names. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the move sent a “very bad signal” at a time when Russia was putting more pressure on Ukraine. Latvia initially blocked the decision, then abstained. The EU’s foreign policy arm has proposed about 1,600 additions to the sanctions list.
