EU Not Planning to Reinstate Sanctions on Oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman Soon

The European Union is not planning to raise the issue of returning Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman to the EU sanctions list in the near future, according to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas.

The two businessmen were recently removed from the EU's sanctions list, a move that came under pressure from two member states, France and Slovakia. Kallas indicated that Brussels currently has no plans to attempt to revisit this decision or push for their renewed inclusion among those facing restrictive measures.

The decision to delist Usmanov and Fridman had already sparked discussion about how individual EU member states can influence the bloc's collective stance toward sanctioned Russian individuals. The EU's top diplomat specifically pointed to the role played by France and Slovakia, noting that the positions of these two countries were decisive in the delisting decision.

The statement suggests there is currently no institutional consensus or political will within the EU to quickly reverse or amend the recently adopted decision, even as the broader sanctions policy toward Russia remains a prominent topic in EU foreign policy amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.