EU Faces Backlash Over Delisting Two Russian Billionaires

The European Union has lifted asset freezes and travel bans on Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, despite Ukrainian objections, while extending broader Russia-related sanctions for three years. France reportedly pressed to delist Usmanov amid a dispute with Azerbaijan over detained French citizens; after the EU decision, Azerbaijan’s president pardoned a French national, and Luxembourg sought the same relief for Fridman, who is suing over frozen assets. Critics, including officials in Ukraine and the Baltic states, warn the deal could weaken the bloc’s resolve and encourage pressure campaigns, while Estonia and Latvia have imposed their own sanctions on the two men.