The European Union has removed Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list, a decision that has drawn criticism from Ukraine.
Both men are described as having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kyiv said the move sent the wrong signals to Moscow, expressing anger over the decision to lift the sanctions against the two oligarchs.
The response from Ukraine reflects concern about how changes to the EU’s sanctions policy may be interpreted by the Russian government. However, the supplied information does not provide further details about the EU’s reasoning, the timing of the decision or any response from Usmanov, Fridman or the Kremlin.
The latest known position is that both businessmen have been removed from the EU sanctions list, while Ukraine continues to oppose the move.
