Estonia Made a Sharp U-Turn After Lifting Sanctions on Usmanov and Friedman

Estonia has imposed its own national sanctions against Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.

According to the diplomat, Estonia did not consider it proper and did not support the lifting of sanctions on the two Russian businessmen from the EU's sanctions regime, although it voted for that decision. "In a situation where Russia shows no willingness to stop the war, there are no grounds to ease the sanction pressure," Tsahkna stressed. He drew attention to the fact that Usmanov and Fridman continue to support Russia's aggression against Ukraine and also help to prolong it. "Therefore Estonia has imposed national sanctions against them," the foreign minister explained. By the way, shortly before Tsahkna said that Estonia, like most other EU members, had to lift sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman after France’s persuasion. However, as the diplomat noted, Paris’s allies have yet to receive explanations from them. "They (France) need to explain what they are doing. There were no deep explanations," complained Estonia’s foreign minister. Lithuania may also impose sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman 24 In September it became known that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed adding the Russian oligarchs to the national list of undesirable persons. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis asks Lithuania’s Interior Ministry to include Usmanov and Fridman on this list. Moreover, they may be banned from entering the country for five years. Landsbergis also officially confirmed that he is preparing legal acts aimed at freezing Usmanov’s and Fridman’s funds and economic resources.

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine told why the EU already began to regret the cancellation of sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman. Besides, we wrote that the EU feels a certain fatigue from tightening anti-Russian sanctions.