Ukraine opposes lifting sanctions on Russian oligarchs and proposes alternative

According to the president, amid Russia's escalation, Europe's response should be to tighten restrictions, not ease them.

"When Russia constantly demonstrates its desire to escalate the war, the response should be stronger sanctions, not the other way around," he said.

Zelenskyy also emphasized that the people on the sanctions lists were not included there by accident.

"Each one represents a reason why this war started and continues to this day, and why our people are being killed every day," he said.

What Sybiha proposes

Andrii Sybiha also responded to the possibility of removing Usmanov and Fridman from the EU sanctions list.

"The decision to delist Usmanov and Fridman is shameful and unjustifiable," the Ukrainian foreign minister said.

In his view, easing the restrictions could send Moscow a signal that sanctions pressure is gradually weakening.

"Moscow is celebrating because it got what it wanted: a sense of impunity, the humiliation of the EU, and division among Europeans," Sybiha said.

At the same time, he proposed an alternative option for EU countries. If Usmanov and Fridman are removed from the EU sanctions list, Sybiha called on individual countries to impose their own national restrictions on them.

"I urge all EU member states to announce now that they will impose their own national sanctions on these two individuals," the minister said.

The EU's Committee of Permanent Representatives agreed to remove Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list against Russia.

At the same time, restrictions on the remaining roughly 3,000 individuals and entities are expected to be extended for another three years. Separately, Latvia is expected to impose its own national sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman.