---
title: "Kyiv calls EU decision to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman 'shameful' and demands national-level restrictions"
description: "The EU Committee of Permanent Representatives agreed to remove Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list. Kyiv called the decision 'shameful,' and Ukraine's Foreign Ministry urged bloc countries to impose national sanctions on both."
date: 2026-09-22T17:04:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/kyiv-calls-eu-decision-to-lift-sanctions-on-usmanov-and-fridman-shameful
tags: [eu-sanctions, alisher-usmanov, mikhail-friedman, ukraine, vladimir-zelensky, andrey-sybiha, latvia]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Kyiv calls EU decision to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman 'shameful' and demands national-level restrictions

![Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman — Russian businesspeople whose EU sanctions were lifted, a move Kyiv called shameful](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/22/kiev-nazval-pozornym-reshenie-es-snyat-sanktsii-s-usmanova-i-fridmana/kiev-nazval-pozornym-reshenie-es-snyat-sanktsii-s-usmanova-i-fridmana-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The EU Committee of Permanent Representatives agreed to remove Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list, extending restrictions on the remaining ~3,000 individuals and entities for three years.
- Zelensky stated that the response to escalation should be tightening sanctions, not easing them.
- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the decision "shameful and unjustified" and urged EU countries to impose national sanctions on both businessmen.
- According to available information, Latvia is ready to impose its own national restrictions on Usmanov and Fridman.

The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the European Union member states has agreed to remove Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the EU sanctions list, while restrictions on the remaining roughly 3,000 individuals and entities are set to be extended for another three years. The decision, taken at committee level, triggered a sharp reaction in Kyiv, where it was seen as a signal of weakening pressure on Moscow amid the ongoing escalation of the conflict.

### Zelensky's position: tightening, not easing

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that, against the backdrop of Russia's escalation, Europe's response should be to tighten restrictions, not to lift them. "When Russia constantly demonstrates its drive to escalate the war, the answer should be tighter sanctions, not the opposite," he emphasized. The head of state also added that every person placed on the sanctions list ended up there for a reason and is a cause of the war having started and continuing.

### Sybiha: the decision is "shameful and unjustified"

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha separately commented on the possible removal of Usmanov and Fridman from the list, calling it "shameful and unjustified." In his words, easing the restrictions could send Moscow a signal that sanctions pressure is gradually weakening, while the European leaders themselves, according to the Ukrainian diplomat, are "celebrating," having gained a sense of impunity and discord among Europeans.

### An alternative scenario: national sanctions

At the same time, Sybiha proposed an alternative step for EU member states: if Usmanov and Fridman are indeed removed from the common EU list, individual countries should immediately impose their own national restrictions on them. "I call on all EU member states to immediately declare that they will impose their own national sanctions on these two individuals," the minister said. According to available information, Latvia is already ready to impose national sanctions on both businessmen, which could set a precedent for other countries in the bloc.

### What this means for the EU's sanctions architecture

The agreement to remove two major Russian entrepreneurs, against the backdrop of extending restrictions on thousands of other individuals, has sparked a debate within the European Union over the consistency of its sanctions policy. Kyiv insists that lifting restrictions on specific individuals without compensation at the national level undermines the overall pressure effect and sends Moscow a signal of a gradual weakening of the regime. The final implementation of the decision, as well as how many EU countries will follow Sybiha's call and impose their own restrictions, will be a key indicator of how the EU will balance internal compromises with support for its sanctions course.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ukraine outraged by possible lifting of sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman and proposes alternative](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-oburena-mozhlivim-znyattyam-sanktsiy-1790096428.html) - Заявления Зеленского и Сибиги, призыв к национальным санкциям.
- [Ukraine condemns removal of Russian oligarchs from EU sanctions list](https://rus.tvnet.lv/8550894/ukraina-osudila-isklyuchenie-rossiyskih-oligarhov-iz-sankcionnogo-spiska-es) - Подтверждение позиции Киева и контекста латвийских национальных санкций.
- [Ukraine's Foreign Minister criticizes removal of Usmanov and Fridman from EU sanctions and calls for ...](https://ru.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1208303.html) - Критика Сибиги и призыв к национальным ограничениям.
- [EU removes Usmanov and Fridman from sanctions](https://ru.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1208342.html) - Критика Сибиги и призыв к национальным ограничениям.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did the EU agree to regarding Usmanov and Fridman?
**A:** The EU Committee of Permanent Representatives agreed to remove Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list, while restrictions on the remaining roughly 3,000 individuals and entities are set to be extended for another three years.

### Q: How did Kyiv react to this decision?
**A:** President Zelensky stated that the response to escalation should be tightening sanctions, not easing them, while Foreign Minister Sybiha called the decision "shameful and unjustified."

### Q: What alternative step did Ukraine's Foreign Ministry propose?
**A:** Sybiha called on EU member states to immediately impose their own national sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman if they are removed from the common list; according to available information, Latvia is ready to do so.