EU lifts sanctions on Russian oligarch, several others in response to Hungary’s demand

The European Union had to make concessions in order to extend the sanctions.

Hungary has lifted its veto and agreed to extend EU sanctions against Russia until September 2025, insisting on lifting restrictions on several Russians, Euronews reported , citing European diplomats.

In exchange for extending sanctions on more than 2,400 individuals and legal entities, Budapest insisted on lifting restrictions on eight people. At the same time, Luxembourg called for tycoon Mikhail Fridman to be removed from the list, but the EU did not take such a step. In the end, sanctions were lifted on four people.

In particular, oligarch Vyacheslav Moshe Kantor, billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s sister, Gulbakhor Ismailova, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev, and Russian businessman Vladimir Rashevsky were exempted from the restrictions. The latter was exempted from the restrictions because his inclusion on the “black list” was allegedly “weakly legally justified.”

According to the publication, sanctions were also lifted against three people who are presumed dead.

“I think they (the Hungarians – UNIAN) have come to their senses. They have realized that siding with Putin is not the best option,” said a European diplomat, whose name has not been disclosed.

(c)UNIAN 2025