Latvia refuses EU plan to drop sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman

Latvia announced it cannot agree to a EU proposal that would lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman in exchange for prolonging measures against a broad set of Russian-linked individuals and entities. Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs wrote on X that extending the sanctions for three years is appropriate, but the removal of the two oligarchs is unacceptable. He called an urgent cabinet session for Tuesday to address the matter and pledged coordination with Brussels and Paris to reach a compromise aligned with Latvian priorities.

The proposal, which became public yesterday, linked the removal of Usmanov and Fridman to a three-year extension of sanctions on many other targets. France and Slovakia have already asked for the sanctions on Usmanov to be lifted, while Luxembourg has done the same for Fridman. Both businessmen have previously challenged the sanctions in court.