EU fails to finalize deal lifting sanctions on Russian oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman
Source Summary
EU member states failed to finalize a deal on Monday that would have removed Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the EU's sanctions blacklist. The proposed compromise would have lifted sanctions on the two oligarchs while extending sanctions on nearly 3,000 other individuals and entities related to the Ukraine war. Multiple diplomats confirmed that member states had reached a provisional agreement before the deal fell through.
Why it matters
The failure to finalize the deal demonstrates continued EU divisions over Russia sanctions policy and leaves the status of the two oligarchs unresolved amid broader efforts to maintain pressure on Russia over the Ukraine conflict.
What remains uncertain
The source does not specify which member states opposed the deal or the reasons for the failure to finalize the agreement.
