---
title: "EU Lifts Sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman: Ukraine Prepares National Restrictions and New Packages Against Defense Oligarchs"
description: "The EU excluded Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list against the backdrop of the overall extension of restrictions. Ukraine is preparing national sanctions and new packages against defense oligarchs, coordinating actions with EU member states."
date: 2026-09-23T12:46:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/eu-lifts-sanctions-usmanov-fridman-ukraine-prepares-national-restrictions
tags: [eu-sanctions, russia-oligarchs, usmanov, fridman, ukraine-sanctions-policy, france, estonia, vlasyuk, budanov]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# EU Lifts Sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman: Ukraine Prepares National Restrictions and New Packages Against Defense Oligarchs

![Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman — Russian oligarchs from whom the EU lifted sanctions, as Ukraine prepares national restrictions against defense-industry figures](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/es-snyal-sanktsii-usmanova-fridmana-ukraina-gotovit-natsionalnye-ogranicheniya/es-snyal-sanktsii-usmanova-fridmana-ukraina-gotovit-natsionalnye-ogranicheniya-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The EU's Committee of Permanent Representatives agreed to exclude Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list while extending the remaining restrictions
- Vladyslav Vlasyuk confirmed that Ukraine is working with EU countries on the introduction of national sanctions against both oligarchs
- Kyiv is in negotiations with Brussels on new sanctions against Russian oligarchs linked to the military-industrial complex
- Estonia demanded that France explain its position on the lifting of the restrictions
- Kirill Budanov called on the EU not to weaken the sanctions regime

The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the European Union agreed to remove Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list of persons subject to the EU's sanctions regime against Russia. The decision was made against the backdrop of the overall extension of the existing restrictive measures against Moscow. According to Ukrainian and European sources, France played a key role in lobbying for the exclusion of the two oligarchs, which provoked a sharp reaction from several member states — in particular, Estonia demanded a public explanation of its position from Paris.

### Kyiv Launches the National Sanctions Mechanism

Ukraine's Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, Vladyslav Vlasyuk, confirmed in an exclusive comment to RBC-Ukraine that Kyiv is already coordinating actions with a number of EU member states on the introduction of national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman. "We are already working with many EU member states on the introduction of national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman," he stated. Thus, even if the European-level restrictions in Brussels are lifted, individual countries may retain or introduce their own restrictions against these individuals.

### New Packages: Focus on the Military-Industrial Complex

In addition to working on national sanctions, Vlasyuk reported that Ukraine is in negotiations with Brussels on the formation of new sanctions decisions, primarily aimed at Russian oligarchs linked to the military-industrial complex. According to him, the goal is to prevent Kremlin-aligned businessmen from financing the Russian war machine. Head of the Presidential Office Kirill Budanov previously publicly called on the EU not to weaken the sanctions regime, emphasizing that this is not simply about "businessmen who were close to the Kremlin," but about figures whose assets and funding channels directly support the combat operations.

### Contradictory Data

The wording of different sources contains a significant difference in describing what happened. A number of Ukrainian media outlets (including RBC-Ukraine) use the phrasing "the EU lifted sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman," which may give the reader the impression of a complete cancellation of the restrictions. However, according to Gordonua data, the EU's Committee of Permanent Representatives decided specifically to exclude the two individuals from the active list while simultaneously extending the remaining sanctions packages against Russia. In other words, the overall regime of restrictions is preserved, and the change concerns only the two specific names. Moreover, regarding France's role: Estonia describes Paris's actions as "insisting on the lifting of sanctions," whereas in European diplomatic channels this may be presented as a "review of the justification of the restrictions" within the framework of the regular review of the list. The difference in emphasis affects the assessment of the scale of what happened.

### Intra-European Split and Prospects

Estonia's demand that France explain its position demonstrates that there is no single consensus within the EU on the sanctions policy toward Russian oligarchs. For Ukraine, this creates a dual challenge: on the one hand, it is necessary to achieve the preservation of pressure at the European Union level; on the other hand, to build an alternative mechanism through the national sanctions of individual states. Vlasyuk emphasizes that work is being carried out "with many" countries, indicating the formation of a coalition ready to act outside the framework of a common European decision. In the coming weeks, Kyiv is expected to present Brussels with concrete proposals for new sanctions packages focused on defense oligarchs, which will be a test of the EU's readiness to tighten, rather than weaken, the restrictive regime.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ukraine is working with EU countries on sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman, - Vlasyuk](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-pratsyue-krayinami-es-sanktsiyami-1790167181.html) - Прямое заявление Власюка о работе над национальными санкциями и новых пакетах против олигархов ВПК. Эксклюзивный комментарий.
- [Ukraine to propose new EU sanctions against Russian oligarchs – Vlasyuk](https://ru.slovoidilo.ua/2026/09/23/novost/politika/ukraina-predlozhit-es-novye-sankcii-oligarxov-rf-vlasyuk) - Подтверждает намерение Киева предлагать Брюсселю новые санкционные решения. Датируется 23.09.2026.
- [EU extended sanctions against Russia but excluded two Russian oligarchs from the list. Who exactly](https://gordonua.com/section-politics/news-yes-prodovzhyv-sanktsiyi-proty-rf-ale-vyklyuchyv-zi-spysku-dvokh-rosiyskykh-oliharkhiv-koho-same-23-09-2026.html) - Уточняет формулировку: не «снятие санкций», а исключение двух лиц из списка при продлении остальных пакетов. Датируется 23.09.2026.
- [Not just "businessmen who were close to the Kremlin." The Presidential Office made a statement on sanctions against ...](https://gordonua.com/section-war/news-ne-prosto-biznesmeny-shcho-buly-blyzki-do-kremlya-v-op-zrobyly-zayavu-pro-sanktsiyi-proty-usmanova-i-fridmana-22-09-2026.html) - Уточняет формулировку: не «снятие санкций», а исключение двух лиц из списка при продлении остальных пакетов. Датируется 23.09.2026.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Did the EU fully lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman?
**A:** No. The EU's Committee of Permanent Representatives excluded these two individuals from the active sanctions list, while the remaining packages of restrictions against Russia were extended. This is a targeted change, not a general cancellation of the regime.

### Q: What is Ukraine doing in response to the exclusion of Usmanov and Fridman?
**A:** According to Presidential Commissioner Vladyslav Vlasyuk, Kyiv is coordinating with a number of EU member states the introduction of national sanctions against both oligarchs, and is also in negotiations with Brussels on new sanctions packages against Russian figures linked to the military-industrial complex.

### Q: Why is Estonia dissatisfied with the decision on Usmanov and Fridman?
**A:** Estonia demanded that France publicly explain its position, since it was Paris that insisted on excluding the two oligarchs from the list. This points to the absence of a single consensus within the EU on sanctions policy.

### Q: What did Kirill Budanov say about this?
**A:** The Head of the Presidential Office called on the EU not to weaken the sanctions regime, emphasizing that this is not simply about "businessmen close to the Kremlin," but about individuals whose financing supports the Russian war machine.