Ukraine's FM Sybiha: Removing Usmanov, Friedman From Sanctions Lists Would Send 'Wrong Signal' to Moscow

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said that removing Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Friedman from the European Union's sanctions lists would send the wrong signal to Moscow, arguing instead that pressure on Russia should be increased.

Sybiha's comments come as EU member states have been discussing a possible easing of sanctions on the two businessmen, a proposal that has not yet been finalized amid disagreement among the bloc's Twenty-Seven member states.

The Ukrainian foreign minister's position reflects Kyiv's broader stance throughout the war, in which it has consistently urged Western allies to maintain or intensify economic pressure on Russia and Russian-linked individuals rather than scale it back, arguing that any softening could be interpreted by Moscow as reduced international resolve.

Usmanov and Friedman are among the prominent Russian businessmen who have faced EU sanctions, including asset freezes and travel restrictions, since the bloc's response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

The debate over the two oligarchs' sanctions status remains unresolved within the EU, with discussions among member states continuing as Kyiv presses allies to hold firm on existing sanctions measures.