World
EU stops sanctioning two Russian billionaires, sparking anger
The European Union has removed two wealthy Russian men from its blacklist, causing frustration in Ukraine.
EU flags waving outside an official government building in Brussels.
By John Doe
Reporting from Europe 
Sept. 23, 2026, 5:08 a.m. - 17 hours ago
The European Union has decided to take two Russian billionaires off its list of people facing sanctions. Sanctions are official penalties designed to punish individuals or countries for bad behavior. In this case, they were meant to put pressure on people close to the Russian government following the invasion of Ukraine.
The two men removed from the list are Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
This move has upset many people, especially in Ukraine. Ukrainian leaders are unhappy with the decision, arguing that it weakens the pressure on Russia. The Prime Minister of Latvia even warned that "cherry-picking" who stays on the list sends the wrong message and makes it seem like things are returning to normal with Russia.
The EU reached a deadline to renew its sanctions list. While they decided to keep most of the sanctions in place, these two names were dropped. The EU has not provided full details on exactly why these two specific men were removed, but the decision is already creating a lot of tension among European leaders.
Source: Reuters
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