---
title: "Kyiv calls EU decision to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman 'shameful' and announces alternative pressure tools"
description: "Kyiv called the EU's decision to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman 'shameful.' Vlasyuk stated that Ukraine will prepare alternative restrictions against oligarchs linked to the military-industrial complex."
date: 2026-09-23T08:32:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/kiev-calls-eu-decision-to-lift-sanctions-on-usmanov-and-fridman-shameful
tags: [ukraine, eu-sanctions, alisher-usmanov, mikhail-fridman, vladyslav-vlasyuk, russia, sanctions-policy]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Kyiv calls EU decision to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman 'shameful' and announces alternative pressure tools

![Man at a desk with documents in the context of the EU lifting sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/kiev-nazval-pozornym-reshenie-es-snyat-sankcii-s-usmanova-i-fridmana/kiev-nazval-pozornym-reshenie-es-snyat-sankcii-s-usmanova-i-fridmana-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The EU on 22 September 2026 lifted sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman, extending the overall package by 36 months
- Vlasyuk called the decision 'very strange' and stated that the oligarchs' ties with the Kremlin have not changed
- Kyiv announced the preparation of new sanctions proposals against oligarchs linked to the military-industrial complex
- Zelensky and Sybiha publicly expressed disagreement; Sybiha called the decision 'shameful'

On 22 September 2026, the European Union officially lifted the sanctions restrictions against Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, while simultaneously extending the overall sanctions package against individuals and entities responsible for undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence by 36 months. The Brussels decision triggered a sharp negative reaction in Kyiv: on that very day, President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha publicly expressed disagreement with the EU's position, and the President's Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, Vladyslav Vlasyuk, in a comment to journalists, called the lifting of the restrictions a "very strange" move, not supported by any change in circumstances.

### Kyiv's position: "Ties with the Kremlin have not disappeared"

Speaking to journalists, Vladyslav Vlasyuk emphasized that the Ukrainian side sees no objective grounds for reviewing the sanctions status of Usmanov and Fridman. "Russia is continuing the war, and their ties with the Kremlin, which were among the grounds for the sanctions, have not disappeared anywhere," the Commissioner stated. According to him, it was precisely these ties with the Russian leadership and participation in structures linked to the state policy of the Russian Federation that originally formed the basis for including both businessmen on the sanctions lists, and none of these grounds, in Kyiv's assessment, has been eliminated. Vlasyuk also noted that by deciding to exclude two oligarchs, Brussels is in fact creating a precedent that could be used to subsequently weaken the sanctions regime against other individuals.

### Context: US "hellish sanctions" and pressure on EU unity

The Ukrainian Commissioner drew attention to the contrast between the EU's decision and the parallel intensification of sanctions pressure from the United States, which in recent months has introduced so-called "hellish sanctions" — a package of additional restrictions aimed at narrowing the capabilities of the Russian budget and military-industrial complex. Against this backdrop, according to Vlasyuk, Brussels's refusal to extend the restrictions against specific oligarchs looks "especially strange." He added that the Kremlin is deliberately working to break the unity within the European Union, using, among other things, economic and political levers of influence on individual member states. "Kyiv has no right to allow the weakening of the overall sanctions policy," Vlasyuk emphasized, adding that the lifting of restrictions against individual businessmen should not become a new practice in EU–Russia relations.

### Alternative tools: focus on the military-industrial complex

In response to the Brussels decision, Kyiv announced the preparation of alternative sanctions proposals, which would be submitted to the EU institutions. Vlasyuk stated outright that Ukraine intends to put forward new sanctions decisions "in particular against Russian oligarchs linked to the Russian military-industrial complex who are not yet under sanctions." Thus, the Ukrainian side intends to shift the focus of pressure from the already "freed" figures to those representatives of Russian business whose activities are directly linked to the defense-industrial complex. In Kyiv's logic, this will allow it to preserve and even strengthen the overall sanctions perimeter, preventing its fragmentation.

### 36-month extension: the long-term nature of the regime

Despite the criticism of the decision on Usmanov and Fridman, the Ukrainian side expressed gratitude to the European Union for extending the main sanctions package for another 36 months. Vlasyuk called this an "important decision that gives the sanctions regime the necessary long-term stability." The three-year extension means that the restrictions against individuals and entities responsible for undermining Ukraine's sovereignty will remain in force at least until September 2029, which, in Kyiv's assessment, creates a stable legal basis for sanctions pressure and reduces the risk of their automatic expiration. Thus, in Kyiv, the dual nature of the Brussels decision is noted: on the one hand — the strengthening of the overall sanctions framework, on the other — the extraction of two specific figures from it, which is perceived as a signal of concession.

### Contradictory data

In the provided sources, the factual base for the event of 22 September 2026 is consistent: all four sources (RBC-Ukraine, Informator, Gordonua, RFI) confirm the fact of the lifting of sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman, as well as the extension of the overall package by 36 months. The differences concern only the emphasis in the presentation: RFI and Gordonua focus on the mechanics of the EU decision (extension + exclusion of two individuals), while RBC-Ukraine and Informator focus on Kyiv's reaction. The only inconsistency that can be noted is related to the wording: in Vlasyuk's text it is said that the EU "did not extend" the sanctions against the two oligarchs, while in the formulations of RFI and Gordonua it is stated that they were "excluded from the list" when the overall package was extended. In fact, this is the same action described from different sides, however, the difference in rhetoric ("did not extend" vs. "excluded") underscores that for Kyiv the key point is not the technical procedure, but the political signal carried by this decision.

### Reaction at the highest level

Among the first to publicly comment on the EU's decision was President Volodymyr Zelensky, who expressed "outrage" at Brussels. The head of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Andriy Sybiha, went further, calling the lifting of sanctions a "shameful and unjustified" step. Such a tone of statements at the level of the president and the foreign minister is rare in the bilateral relations between Kyiv and Brussels and indicates that in the Ukrainian authorities the EU's decision is perceived not as a technical adjustment of the sanctions list, but as a political signal aimed at weakening the unity of the anti-Russian sanctions perimeter. It is expected that in the coming weeks Kyiv will send formal proposals to the EU institutions to expand the sanctions perimeter against individuals linked to the military-industrial complex, which will become the practical implementation of the strategy declared by Vlasyuk.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ukraine to propose new approach to EU after lifting of sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-zaproponue-es-noviy-pidhid-pislya-1790152152.html) - Подтверждает заявления Власюка, цитаты о «странном» решении и планы по новым санкциям против ВПК-олигархов.
- [Vlasyuk criticizes EU decision to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman](https://informator.ua/ru/vlasyuk-raskritikoval-reshenie-es-snyat-sankcii-s-usmanova-i-fridmana) - Подтверждает критику Власюка и контекст «адских санкций» США.
- [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) - Подтверждает факт продления на 36 месяцев и исключения Усманова/Фридмана из списка.
- [European Union extended sanctions against Russia for three years. Usmanov and Fridman excluded from the list](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0/20260922-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%8E%D0%B7-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BA%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D1%80%D1%84-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BB%D1%8E%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%BC-%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%88%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0-%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0-%D0%B8-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B0-%D1%84%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0) - Независимый международный источник, подтверждающий механику решения ЕС и сроки продления.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did the EU decide on 22 September 2026?
**A:** The European Union extended the main sanctions package against individuals and entities responsible for undermining Ukraine's sovereignty by 36 months, but excluded Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list.

### Q: Why does Kyiv consider this decision unjustified?
**A:** According to Vlasyuk, the ties of Usmanov and Fridman with the Kremlin, which were the grounds for the sanctions, have not changed, and Russia is continuing the war. In Kyiv, the decision is perceived as a precedent for weakening the sanctions perimeter.

### Q: What alternative measures is Ukraine preparing?
**A:** Kyiv intends to propose to the EU new sanctions decisions against Russian oligarchs linked to the military-industrial complex who are not yet under restrictions.

### Q: How did Zelensky and Foreign Minister Sybiha react?
**A:** Zelensky expressed outrage at the Brussels decision, while Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the lifting of sanctions 'shameful and unjustified.'