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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Switzerland removed Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list. Previously, a similar decision was made by the European Union. This is reported by Glavkom, citing data from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
From the list of persons covered by the restrictions, the former rector of the Crimean Federal University, Andriy Falahieiev, and Redbird Corporate Services Ltd were also removed.
In addition, three individuals were removed from the list due to their deaths. These are former State Duma deputy Yuri Shvytkin, designer Alexander Leonov, and Iranian military figure Alirezu Tangsiri.
Why did the EU lift sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman
22 In September, the European Union approved the extension of personal sanctions against almost three thousand individuals and entities connected to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The restrictions were extended for three more years—to September 2029 of the year.
At the same time, Usmanov and Fridman were removed from the sanctions list. According to Reuters, this decision resulted from a compromise among EU member states.
France pressed for lifting the restrictions on Usmanov, citing national security considerations. Luxembourg demanded a similar decision regarding Fridman, who had filed a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit against the country over frozen assets.
Latvia opposed removing the businessmen from the sanctions list, but ultimately did not block the overall decision. At the same time, Riga announced the implementation of national restrictions against both businessmen.
How Ukraine Reacted
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticized the EU decision, calling it shameful and unwarranted.
According to the foreign minister, removing Russian businessmen from sanctions lists sends a dangerous signal to Moscow at a time when international pressure on Russia must be intensified.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also stressed that ending the war requires resolve and strength, not concessions to the surroundings of the aggressor state.
Usmanov and Fridman had been under EU sanctions since 2022 year. The restrictions included asset freezes and entry bans to EU countries. Their removal from the Swiss list does not mean automatic cancellation of sanctions that may apply against them in other jurisdictions.
As a reminder, Glavkom previously reported that the European Union extended sanctions against Russia but removed Usmanov and Fridman from the list. The restrictions against almost three thousand individuals and entities were extended to 22 of September 2029 of the year. Meanwhile, the decision to remove the two Russian billionaires was made without Ukraine's agreement.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Швейцарія зняла санкції з російських мільярдерів Усманова та Фрідмана". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: ZmiOne.
