Lithuania has decided to impose tough national sanctions against Russian billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov. The reason for this step was their direct and indirect support for the Kremlin's aggressive policy against Ukraine, as well as recent controversial precedents at the pan-European level.
Vilnius's Decisive Response to European Loopholes
As stated by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys on his social media page on X, excluding such influential individuals from the European Union's sanctions lists sends a dangerous and false signal to the entire international community. The Lithuanian leadership emphasized that the Kremlin's war machine continues to be funded by capital and interests profiting from the ongoing war, and turning a blind eye to this is unacceptable.
Freezing Mechanisms and State Regime
Under the introduced national sanctions regime, all assets belonging to Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov within the territory of the Republic of Lithuania have been blocked. Vilnius demonstrates its readiness to bypass pan-Union bureaucracy when it comes to national security and principled support for Ukraine's sovereignty, setting an example for other Baltic states.
International Context and Kyiv's Position
This decision fits harmoniously into the overall strategy of Ukraine and its key Western partners to strengthen the isolation of the aggressor. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has repeatedly stated that sanctions should not simply deter, but effectively destroy Russia's economy, completely cutting off its access to modern technologies and financial resources for warfare.
