---
title: "EU Makes Official Statement on Return of Sanctions Against Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman"
description: "EU High Representative Kaja Kallas stated that the return of Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman to sanctions lists is not planned in the near future."
date: 2026-10-05T12:32:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/eu-statement-sanctions-usmanov-fridman
tags: [eu-sanctions, alisher-usmanov, mikhail-fridman, kaja-kallas, russia-economy]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# EU Makes Official Statement on Return of Sanctions Against Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman

![European flag and EU leaders meeting on sanctions against Russian oligarchs](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/05/es-zayavlenie-sanktsii-usmanov-fridman/es-zayavlenie-sanktsii-usmanov-fridman-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Usmanov and Fridman will not return under EU sanctions in the near future
- The EU is preparing an expansion of sanctions with 1,600 new positions
- The duration of sanctions for 2,998 positions has been extended to three years

The issue of returning Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman back to the European Union's sanctions lists is not currently under consideration. As stated by High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, the prospects for renewing personal restrictions against these businessmen in the near future are absent, despite previous discussions within the European community.

### Context of Sanctions Policy and New Packages of Restrictions

Speaking with comments for the press, Kaja Kallas emphasized that European institutions and member states are continuing large-scale work to pressure the Russian economy. In particular, Brussels is preparing a massive expansion of blacklists, which is planned to include about 1,600 new positions and individuals. According to her, every country within the bloc has the full sovereign right to propose candidates for sanctions, but the final verdict is made exclusively on the basis of a consensus of all member states.

### Changes to the Duration of European Sanctions

The EU representative paid special attention to procedural changes adopted in European legislation shortly before. According to the new rules approved about two weeks prior to Kallas's statements, as many as 2,998 positions from the sanctions lists will automatically remain in force for a three-year period. This radically changes the bureaucratic procedure, as the EU no longer has the need to re-approve the extension of these restrictions every six months, which previously led to fierce disputes and dragged-out processes.

### Contradictory Data

There are noticeable discrepancies in assessments of the situation surrounding the lifting and potential return of sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman. Initially, official Brussels extended the general regime of personal restrictions, but under serious diplomatic and legal pressure from individual member states, the names of Usmanov and Fridman were excluded from the lists. Later, the influential Euronews publication reported that European capitals allegedly realized their mistake and recognized the lifting of sanctions against the oligarchs as a serious miscalculation. However, Kaja Kallas's current tough statements refute rumors about a speedy revision of this decision and the return of businessmen under restrictions in the short term.

### Prospects and Reaction of the Expert Community

The current situation has caused widespread resonance among sanctions policy experts and international observers. Many analysts note that the precedent of removing such major figures from under the blow demonstrates the vulnerability of the European mechanism to backstage lobbying and the stance of individual dissenting countries. At the same time, the three-year duration of sanctions should provide greater stability for sanctions pressure in the future, although loopholes to bypass restrictions continue to be the subject of fierce discussions in European capitals.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [В ЕС сделали заявление о возвращении санкций против Усманова и Фридмана](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/es-zrobili-zayavu-shchodo-povernennya-sanktsiy-1791203014.html) - Исходная новость о заявлении Каи Каллас.
- [Каллас говорит, что в ближайшее время Усманова и Фридмана не вернут под санкции](https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/rus/news/2026/10/5/7246965/) - Цитаты и контекст позиции высокой представительницы ЕС.
- [ЕС в ближайшее время не возобновит санкции против Усманова и Фридмана, - Каллас](https://censor.net/ru/news/4026741/usmanov-i-fridman-ne-vernutsya-pod-sanktsii-v-blijayishee-vremya) - Дополнительное подтверждение заявлений по срокам санкций.
- [Усманов, Фридман и скромный учёный: как ЕС снял санкции с экс-ректора КФУ «за компанию»](https://runews24.ru/sevastopol/23/09/2026/usmanov-fridman-i-skromnyij-uchyonyij-kak-es-snyal-sankczii-s-eks-rektora-kfu-za-kompaniyu) - Контекст вокруг обстоятельств снятия персональных ограничений.

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