The UK is set to keep sanctions on Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, even as the European Union moves to lift sanctions on them. Bloomberg reports that UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham tells Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy he disagrees with the EU decision, according to people familiar with the matter.
The EU’s action follows a broader compromise that extends sanctions on roughly 3,000 individuals and entities for three years, while removing Usmanov and Fridman. Multiple outlets also report that some EU member states respond by acting nationally: Latvia and Estonia take steps in their domestic frameworks after the EU’s change.
Across coverage, the core focus is the difference between UK and EU approaches toward specific Russian figures. While the UK maintains sanctions on the two oligarchs, the EU delists them as part of a negotiated package, leading to varied national measures within Europe.
