UK keeps sanctions on Russian oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman despite EU decision
Photo: Andy Burnham (Getty Images)
Britain does not support the EU’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman and has no plans to remove its own restrictions on them, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Bloomberg.
The talks between the British prime minister and the Ukrainian president took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. According to the outlet’s sources, Burnham made it clear that London would not follow Brussels’ example.
The British prime minister stressed that Ukraine’s international partners must continue to maintain tough sanctions. This is necessary to keep economic pressure on Russia and force it to end the war.
Journalists note that such criticism highlights a rare split between Britain and the European Union on sanctions policy toward Russia. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, allies have largely acted in close coordination.
In an official Downing Street readout of the meeting between Burnham and Zelenskyy, the EU decision was not mentioned directly.
However, the statement emphasized that the leaders discussed the need to continue and strengthen sanctions pressure on the Kremlin in order to force it to the negotiating table.
The EU extended sanctions against Russia after lengthy negotiations, doing so for three years at once. At the same time, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were removed from the sanctions list.
Euronews reported that EU countries have already realized they made a serious mistake when they lifted sanctions on the two Russian oligarchs.
