---
title: "Lithuania Freezes Assets of Fridman and Usmanov Following Controversial EU Decision"
description: "Lithuania has introduced national sanctions and frozen the assets of Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov following controversial EU decisions."
date: 2026-10-14T13:08:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/lithuania-freezes-assets-fridman-usmanov
tags: [lithuania, sanctions, fridman, usmanov, russia, ukraine]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Lithuania Freezes Assets of Fridman and Usmanov Following Controversial EU Decision

![Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov face national sanctions in Lithuania](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/14/litva-zamorozila-aktivy-fridmana-i-usmanova/litva-zamorozila-aktivy-fridmana-i-usmanova-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Lithuania introduced national sanctions against Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov.
- The decision was made amid criticism of the EU's soft stance in removing oligarchs from lists.
- The businessmen's assets are fully frozen within the Republic of Lithuania.

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.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Литва заморозила активы Фридмана и Усманова после скандального решения ЕС](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/litva-vvela-sanktsiyi-proti-fridmana-ta-usmanova-1791982344.html) - Данные подтверждены заявлением министра иностранных дел Литвы Кястутиса Будриса.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why did Lithuania impose sanctions on Fridman and Usmanov?
**A:** Vilnius considered it a mistake to exclude these oligarchs from pan-European sanctions lists and decided to act independently at the national level.

### Q: Who made the official statement about the sanctions?
**A:** The statement was published by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys on X.