Sybiha on lifting sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman: Moscow is celebrating because it got what it wanted
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha commented on the European Union’s decision to remove Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list.
He wrote about this on the social media platform X, Censor.NET reports.
Foreign minister’s reaction
He called the EU’s decision "disgraceful and unjustified."
"Moscow is celebrating because it got what it wanted: a sense of impunity, the humiliation of the EU and discord among Europeans. But there is still a way to spoil the celebrations in Moscow. I call on all EU member states to immediately announce that they will impose their own national sanctions on these two individuals," Sybiha said.
Background
It was previously reported that EU ambassadors had agreed to remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list. At the same time, they decided to extend restrictions against approximately 3,000 other individuals and organisations for three years.
How EU countries demanded changes to sanctions
- France previously demanded that Alisher Usmanov be removed from the EU sanctions list. The country cited national security considerations to explain its position.
- Luxembourg subsequently began demanding a similar decision regarding Mikhail Fridman.
- Slovakia also supported removing both billionaires from the sanctions list.
