‘Lifting Restrictions Must Not Become a Precedent,’ Kyiv Says After Russian Billionaires Delisted

Ukraine has criticized the EU’s decision to remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list, with an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky warning that the move could set a precedent for weakening the bloc’s pressure on Moscow.Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Zelensky’s adviser on sanctions policy, told Kyiv Post that Ukraine found the EU decision “very strange,” arguing that there was no change in circumstances.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“Russia continues the war, and their ties with the Kremlin,which were among the grounds for the sanctions, have not disappeared,” he added.Ukraine warns against weakening sanctions unityVlasiuk said Russia could seek to exploit divisions within the EU over sanctions and warned that removing restrictions from individual Russian businessmen should not become a broader precedent.“Russia is attempting to fracture EU unity, and it is crucial not to let this crack widen and lead to a weakening of the common sanctions policy,” he said.“Lifting restrictions on individual Russian businessmen must not become a new precedent,” Vlasiuk added.He said Kyiv would respond by proposing additional sanctions, particularly against Russian oligarchs linked to the country’s military-industrial complex who have not yet been targeted.“Right now, it is vital to focus on increasing sanctions pressure on Russia.”Despite its criticism of the delistings, Kyiv welcomed the EU’s decision to extend the broader sanctions regime for three years. Other Topics of Interest Germany Probes Drone and Suspected Explosives Near Air Base Investigators are testing suspicious material found beside a crashed drone near Germany’s A400M base and checking parallels with the Leipzig airport attack. “At the same time, we appreciate the EU’s decision to extend – for another 36 months – sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence,” Vlasiuk said.“This is an important decision that provides the sanctions regime with necessary long-term stability.”The measures currently cover more than 3,000 individuals and entities and include asset freezes, travel restrictions, and a ban on making funds or economic resources available to those listed.As part of the decision, however, the EU removed Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list, along with another individual and a company. The names of Usmanov and Fridman are explicitly listed in the EU’s implementing regulation.The decision followed weeks of disagreement among EU member states over whether the two Russian businessmen should remain sanctioned. Reuters reported that France and Luxembourg pushed for their removal, while Latvia initially had opposed the move.Riga accepts EU compromise but vows to keep pressure on Russian billionairesLatvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs announced the decision on X late on Monday, saying Europe’s pressure on Russia should become “stronger, not more convenient for the Kremlin.”He said Latvia supported extending the broader sanctions regime but could not accept dropping Usmanov and Fridman as the price.EU sanctions decisions require the unanimous support of all 27 member states. Without an agreement, the current listings would have expired Tuesday at midnight.Given that, Latvia ultimately agreed to the compromise and adopted a stance of “constructive abstention” during a new vote on Tuesday.“It was a choice not between a good and a bad decision, but between a bad one and a significantly worse one – a choice between altering the status of two individuals and the future of the entire sanctions regime, which affects nearly 3,000 individuals and entities linked to Russian aggression,” Kulbergs said.“By opting to maintain sanctions against these individuals, we achieved an outcome that is more beneficial for Latvia, Ukraine, and Europe in the long run,” he added.At the same time, the Latvian government imposed financial and entry restrictions on Fridman and Usmanov at the national level, according to documents attached to the Cabinet of Ministers’ meeting agenda.The government pledged that Latvia would continue to use all available legal instruments to prevent the unfreezing of the individuals’ funds and economic resources in Latvia. Julia is a Deputy Head of News and correspondent for Kyiv Post who has previously worked as a parliamentary editor, journalist, and news editor. She has specialized in covering the work of the Ukrainian parliament, government, and law enforcement agencies.