--- title: "A 'False Signal to Moscow': Sybiha Calls Lifting Sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman Unacceptable" description: "Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that removing Usmanov and Fridman from the EU sanctions lists would be a false signal to Moscow. Paris and Bratislava are lobbying for the lifting of the restrictions." date: 2026-09-21T15:34:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/sibiga-usmanov-fridman-eu-sanctions tags: [eu-sanctions, alisher-usmanov, mikhail-fridman, ukraine-russia, andriy-sybiha, france, slovakia] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # A 'False Signal to Moscow': Sybiha Calls Lifting Sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman Unacceptable ![Sibiga in a business suit against a world map backdrop comments on lifting sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/22/sibiga-usmanov-fridman-sankcii-es/sibiga-usmanov-fridman-sankcii-es-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Sybiha called the removal of Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions lists a "false signal" to Moscow and urged intensifying the restrictions. - France and Slovakia are lobbying for the lifting of sanctions on the oligarchs; Paris links this to the release of French citizens in Azerbaijan. - On 14 September the EU failed to agree on extending the sanctions due to a dispute over Usmanov and Fridman. - The sources disagree on the extension period: Sybiha mentions 12 months, Jozwiak β€” 36 months. Ahead of a meeting of EU ambassadors, at which the fate of the anti-Russian restrictions is set to be reviewed, Kyiv has taken a firm stance against removing Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions lists. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, lifting the restrictions on them would send a "false signal" to Moscow at a moment when, in his view, pressure on Russia needs to be intensified rather than relaxed. The minister's statement came against the backdrop of France and Slovakia actively lobbying for the two businessmen to be freed from the European restrictions. ### Kyiv's position: "nothing has changed" Sybiha emphasized that Usmanov and Fridman were placed on the sanctions lists because, in Kyiv's assessment, they are part of the "aggressive Russian regime waging a war of aggression against Ukraine." "What has changed? Nothing. Removing them from these lists is unacceptable and would be a false signal to Moscow at a time when pressure needs to be intensified," the minister stated. He called not only for keeping but also for expanding the lists of sanctioned individuals, as well as for extending the duration of the restrictions, so that, in his words, "fewer counterproductive ideas catering to Russian oligarchs" would emerge. ### Pressure from Paris and Bratislava According to the Financial Times, France surprised its European partners by joining Slovakia at the beginning of the month in filing a petition to remove Usmanov from the sanctions list. Paris, reportedly, is seeking this step to facilitate the release of French citizens held in Azerbaijan; the French ambassador conveyed to his EU counterparts that the government is pursuing the oligarch's removal on grounds of national security. Azerbaijan, for its part, had earlier lobbied Western politicians to free Usmanov, describing him as a "well-known philanthropist" who had built bridges between the West, Central Asia, and the wider Turkic world. In the summer, Slovakia began pushing for the removal of both Russian businessmen at once. ### The Brussels deadlock of 14 September A reminder of how sensitive the issue is comes from a recent episode: on 14 September, EU countries failed to reach agreement on extending the anti-Russian sanctions at a meeting in Brussels. Consensus could not be reached precisely because of the dispute over the restrictions on Usmanov and Fridman. According to Radio Free Europe journalist Rikard Jozwiak, the meeting of the ambassadors of the European countries, at which these issues are considered, was supposed to begin at 18:00 and end at 20:00. In parallel, SBU head Kyrylo Budanov called on the EU not to weaken the sanctions regime so that Russian oligarchs cannot continue to finance Russia's military machine. ### Contradictory data The statements of the parties and the source materials disagree on the figures for the extension of the restrictions. In his speech, Sybiha spoke of the need to extend the sanctions' validity "from six to twelve months." Meanwhile, Jozwiak, describing the ambassadors' meeting agenda, mentions a "subsequent extension of the restrictions' validity for 36 months." The difference in wording (12 versus 36 months) may reflect either a distinction between a specific package of restrictions and the overall extension horizon, or a discrepancy in the original sources; the final figure will be fixed only after the vote in Brussels. ### What comes next Thus, a knot of conflicting interests has formed around the figures of Usmanov and Fridman: Kyiv and a number of European capitals insist on maintaining and intensifying pressure, while Paris and Bratislava, relying on the Azerbaijani lobby, are pushing for the lifting of restrictions in order to resolve the issue of detained citizens. It is precisely this rift that, in effect, paralyzed the agreement on extending the sanctions regime on 14 September and makes the upcoming ambassadors' meeting a key test of the EU's cohesion. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [A 'False Signal to Moscow': Sybiha Calls for Not Lifting Sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/hibniy-signal-moskvi-sibiga-zaklikav-znimati-1790003803.html) - Π¦ΠΈΡ‚Π°Ρ‚Π° Π‘ΠΈΠ±ΠΈΠ³ΠΈ ΠΎ Β«Π»ΠΎΠΆΠ½ΠΎΠΌ сигналС» ΠΈ нСприСмлСмости ΠΈΡΠΊΠ»ΡŽΡ‡Π΅Π½ΠΈΡ; ΠΏΡ€ΠΈΠ·Ρ‹Π² ΡƒΡΠΈΠ»ΠΈΡ‚ΡŒ ΠΈ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΠ΄Π»ΠΈΡ‚ΡŒ санкции. - [Removing Usmanov and Fridman from the Sanctions Lists Is Unacceptable – Sybiha](https://ru.interfax.com.ua/news/political/1207553.html) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ ΠΏΠΎΠ·ΠΈΡ†ΠΈΡŽ ΠœΠ˜Π” Π£ΠΊΡ€Π°ΠΈΠ½Ρ‹ ΠΎ нСдопустимости снятия ΠΎΠ³Ρ€Π°Π½ΠΈΡ‡Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΉ. - [Sybiha: Lifting EU Sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman Would Be Unacceptable](https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/rus/news/2026/09/21/7245949/) - БогласуСтся с Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΡƒΠ»ΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΠΎΠΉ Β«Π½Π΅ΠΏΡ€ΠΈΠ΅ΠΌΠ»Π΅ΠΌΠΎΒ» ΠΈ контСкстом засСдания послов. - [EU May Lift Sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman: Sybiha Declares Such a Step Unacceptable](https://glavnoe.in.ua/ru/novosti/es-mozhet-snyat-sankczyy-s-usmanova-y-frydmana-sybyha-zayavyl-o-nepryemlemosty-takoho-shaha) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ повСстку Π•Π‘ ΠΏΠΎ Π²ΠΎΠ·ΠΌΠΎΠΆΠ½ΠΎΠΌΡƒ ΡΠ½ΡΡ‚ΠΈΡŽ санкций ΠΈ Ρ€Π΅Π°ΠΊΡ†ΠΈΡŽ КиСва. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why, according to Sybiha, can sanctions not be lifted on Usmanov and Fridman? **A:** The minister stated that they were included on the lists as part of the Russian regime waging war against Ukraine, and that "nothing has changed"; their removal would be a "false signal" to Moscow. ### Q: Who is lobbying for the lifting of sanctions on these oligarchs? **A:** According to the FT, France joined Slovakia in filing a petition to remove Usmanov; Paris links this to the release of French citizens in Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijan describes Usmanov as a "well-known philanthropist." ### Q: Did the EU reach agreement on 14 September to extend the sanctions? **A:** No, at the 14 September meeting in Brussels consensus could not be reached due to disputes over the restrictions on Usmanov and Fridman.