Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a direct appeal to European Union governments to preserve sanctions on two prominent Russian billionaires, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, as negotiations over renewing the bloc's blacklist reach a critical juncture in Brussels. The entire individual sanctions regime is set to lapse if member state ambassadors fail to reach an agreement by the end of Tuesday.
In a message posted on social media, Zelenskyy framed the decision as a test of European resolve. "The world needs not a political delisting, but timely and unconditional rollover of individual sanctions, until Moscow engages in serious peace negotiations and takes concrete steps to end its war against Ukraine," he wrote. "This is the shortest path to peace we all are striving for. Every Ukrainian family is counting on EU unity and solidarity."
The Ukrainian leader's intervention comes amid confidential and increasingly fraught talks among the 27 member states. A fragile compromise tabled on Monday would extend the individual sanctions for an unprecedented 36 months — a move designed to offset the political discomfort of removing the two names — but it was halted at the last minute by Latvia.
A compromise blocked in Brussels
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs described the 36-month renewal as "the right step" but insisted that "the price for it" could not be the removal of the two businessmen. Zelenskyy personally thanked Kulbergs for his stance, underscoring how the dispute has become a litmus test for the EU's willingness to maintain pressure on Moscow.
The two billionaires were sanctioned in the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion. Their possible delisting has been driven by a complex set of national interests. France has spent days pushing to remove Usmanov as part of a prisoner release arrangement with Azerbaijan. Slovakia has long advocated dropping both men. Luxembourg, meanwhile, argues that if Usmanov is removed, Fridman should be too — a position complicated by Fridman's $16 billion claim against the Grand Duchy over his frozen assets.
Ambassadors met again on Tuesday morning but failed to break the deadlock, with Latvia and France holding their ground. They are due to reconvene at 16.00 CET. The compromise under discussion remains unchanged from Monday.
Pressure on Moscow and the politics of delisting
Zelenskyy's appeal marks an extraordinary intervention by a foreign leader in the EU's internal deliberations. His deputies have spent recent days issuing public calls to keep the two names on the blacklist, and the Ukrainian president used his social media post to link the sanctions directly to Russia's ongoing attacks on civilians.
"As Russia is escalating the killing of civilians – there have been more attacks overnight and into the day with drones and ballistic missiles – pressure on Moscow must be strengthened. In particular, against enablers of Putin's war. Against those who benefit from the aggression," Zelenskyy said. "Every crime against peaceful Ukrainians has a name. And as long as this war continues, these names must be on the sanctions lists."
The message was published as Zelenskyy attends the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday. It remains unclear whether the sanctions dispute was raised in their talks.
The standoff has exposed deeper divisions within the EU over how to balance legal challenges, diplomatic side-deals and the principle of maintaining a united front against the Kremlin. Russia has backed the push to exempt the oligarchs, a fact that Ukrainian officials have seized upon as evidence that delisting would send the wrong signal.
For Kyiv, the renewal of individual sanctions is not merely a technical matter. It is a measure of whether Europe can sustain its commitment to Ukraine as the war enters a gruelling phase. As one Ukrainian official warned this week, political delistings risk undermining the entire sanctions architecture.
The coming hours will determine whether the EU can find a formula that preserves the blacklist without rewarding those who seek to escape it. For now, the bloc's ambassadors remain at an impasse, and the clock is ticking.
