European lawmakers condemn removal of Russian oligarchs from EU sanctions list

Lawmakers from 17 European countries, including Estonia, along with members of the European Parliament, issued a joint statement on Friday, September 25, condemning a decision to remove two Russian businessmen from the European Union's sanctions list.

The signatories note that Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were originally listed because they provided material or financial support to Russian officials responsible for both the annexation of Crimea and the subsequent full-scale war against Ukraine, and benefited from doing so. The lawmakers point out that neither man has publicly distanced himself from the Kremlin or condemned the war.

Warning against a dangerous precedent

The statement argues that such decisions must not be driven by political, diplomatic or bilateral considerations detached from the substantive legal criteria for listing. The lawmakers warn that delisting the two men would set a dangerous precedent, signaling to thousands of other listed individuals and to third countries acting on their behalf that removal from the list can be achieved through lobbying or diplomatic pressure rather than changed behavior. This, they say, would trigger new delisting demands, put pressure on individual member states, and undermine the overall deterrent effect of EU sanctions.

The lawmakers praised Latvia's principled stance during negotiations and its decision to impose national sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman. They called on other member states sharing these concerns to follow Latvia's example immediately and to continue pursuing a coordinated, effective sanctions policy toward all individuals whose actions still meet the existing criteria.

From Estonia's Riigikogu, the statement was signed by Foreign Affairs Committee chair Marko Mihkelson, EU Affairs and National Defence Committee chair Peeter Tali, chair of the committee investigating Russian influence operations Eerik-Niiles Kross, and MP Hanah Lahe. Overall, the joint statement was signed by chairs and members of foreign affairs, EU affairs and European integration committees belonging to the United4Ukraine parliamentary network, representing the European Parliament and the parliaments of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, France, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia, Finland, Denmark, Czechia and Ukraine.