EU Sanctions Renewal Stalls with Latvia Blocking Final Deal
EU ambassadors face a midnight deadline to renew Russia sanctions, with Latvia the sole holdout over the removal of two billionaires from the list.
Key points
- Latvia is the sole EU member state blocking the renewal of sanctions against nearly 3,000 Russia-linked targets.
- The proposed compromise removes Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the blacklist but extends other sanctions for 36 months.
- Ukrainian officials warn that delisting these individuals would signal to Moscow that pressure is temporary and negotiable.
European Union ambassadors failed to secure final approval for a major renewal of sanctions against Russia-linked individuals and entities late on September 21. The agreement, which covers nearly 3,000 people and companies, was set to lapse at midnight, forcing negotiations to resume just hours before the deadline.
According to Kyiv Independent, the impasse centers on the removal of Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the blacklist. While the vast majority of member states have agreed to the measure, Latvia has withheld its approval, creating a critical obstacle in a process that requires unanimous consent from all 27 EU members.
Unanimity requirements create procedural bottleneck
The delay stems from the EU’s requirement for unanimous approval on individual sanctions. Three national diplomats indicated that Latvia was the only country still opposing the proposed compromise late in the day. Coreper II, the body of EU ambassadors, confirmed that talks would resume at 8 a.m. on September 22 with the explicit aim of finalizing the agreement before the legal deadline expires.
A temporary seven-day extension adopted last week currently keeps the existing measures in force, but this buffer is set to run out. If a permanent agreement is not reached, the entire list of sanctioned individuals and entities risks lapsing, despite the EU maintaining separate sectoral sanctions against the Russian economy.
Diplomatic pressures shape compromise terms
The proposed deal involves removing Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions list while extending restrictions on approximately 3,000 other targets for 36 months. This duration is significantly longer than the usual six- or 12-month renewal periods. The push for their removal was driven by France and Slovakia, with Luxembourg later seeking Fridman's delisting.
Diplomats cited pressure from Azerbaijan, which is holding French nationals, as a factor in France's position, although Baku officials rejected the characterization of such pressure. Both men have legally challenged their inclusion on the EU sanctions list, disputing the allegations of close ties to President Vladimir Putin or threats to Ukraine’s sovereignty that underpinned their designation.
Kyiv warns against signaling weakness
Ukrainian officials have strongly opposed the removal of either businessman, arguing that delisting would send a dangerous signal to Moscow at a time when pressure needs to increase. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that nothing has changed to justify lifting the restrictions, calling the move unacceptable.
Sanctions envoy Vladyslav Vlasiuk warned that lifting restrictions without a fundamental change in conduct suggests that accountability is negotiable and that sanctions can simply be waited out. Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s ambassador to the EU, added that such a compromise would only invite Moscow to raise the stakes in the ongoing conflict.
