EU ambassadors agree to extend Russia sanctions, exclude Usmanov and Fridman

Permanent representatives of European Union countries have reached a preliminary agreement to extend sanctions against several thousand Russian individuals and legal entities for three years, while agreeing to remove businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions lists, Reuters informs, citing European diplomats.

According to them, the decision to remove Usmanov and Fridman from the lists will take effect if none of the EU member states objects within the next few hours.

The agreement was reached as part of a package deal to extend sanctions against thousands of Russian individuals and legal entities. The three-year period is significantly longer than the usual six- or 12-month periods for extending sanctions.

The EU imposed sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman in 2022.