EU removes two Russian oligarchs from sanctions list, but extends period of validity

Commission spokesman Christian Wigand was not particularly comfortable with the question about the sanctions list from which the two Russian oligarchs were removed. Instead, Wiegand emphasized that the EU had once again shown its unity in confirming the existing sanctions against Russia.

And the duration of the list has also been significantly extended, from the previous six to now 36 months. This is also a clear sign of pressure on Russia.

The commission spokesman added that the pressure will remain in the long term. But the commission did not want to say more about it, despite numerous requests.

“Difficult compromise”

On the other hand, there was talk of a “difficult compromise” during the Irish Council Presidency. Three people were taken off the sanctions list. Two of them are Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, two Russian oligarchs. Slovakia, France and Luxembourg have insisted on this, for different reasons. France, for example, pushed for this because it wants the release of French prisoners held in Azerbaijan. In fact, a French citizen has now been pardoned there.

Numerous states, especially Lithuania, spoke out against the Brussels decision because they were of the opinion that it sent the wrong signal. According to its own statements, Lithuania abstained from the vote, but reserves the right to impose national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman.

Billions must be released

As soon as the decision is published in the European Official Journal, it becomes effective. And that can happen quickly. Usmanov and Fridmann will then be allowed to travel freely within the European Union again, provided that the individual states do not individually prohibit them from doing so, and the frozen billions must be released again.

"On the other hand, that is certainly unfortunate because it hit the right people," says Michael Gahler, foreign policy expert for the Christian Democrats in the European Parliament. However, he could understand the decision to remove Usmanov from the list when weighed up. That it was said that an innocent citizen was imprisoned in Azerbaijan and would then be pardoned. "I believe that democratic states are always on the side of their own citizens."

Gahler also counters the argument that the EU could have made itself open to blackmail by saying that the list now has a much longer and therefore more binding duration. "On the other hand, I think it is right that the six-month cycle for listing the people in question has now been moved away and it has been extended to three years."

According to Gahler, this would avoid this debate, which could potentially flare up again every six months. Of course, you can add to the list at any time. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is already working on 1,600 more names.