BRUSSELS, September 22, 2026 — The European Union is facing a critical deadline over its Russia sanctions regime after Latvia rejected a proposed compromise that would remove businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the bloc’s sanctions list while extending restrictions on roughly 3,000 other individuals and entities for three years.
EU ambassadors were expected to resume negotiations on Tuesday as member states sought to resolve the dispute before the current measures expire. Under EU rules, the renewal requires the unanimous support of all 27 member states. (Reuters)
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said Riga could support a 36-month extension of the wider sanctions regime but would not accept the removal of Usmanov and Fridman as the price for securing an agreement.
The proposed arrangement had emerged after France and Slovakia backed the removal of Usmanov from the EU sanctions list, while Luxembourg subsequently sought similar treatment for Fridman. Both businessmen have challenged their designations through legal channels. (Reuters)
The dispute does not mean that the EU is reconsidering its broader sanctions policy toward Russia. Rather, it highlights a separate question: whether particular individual designations should continue to be maintained under the existing legal framework.
A separate expansion of EU sanctions
The dispute over existing listings is unfolding alongside a major proposed expansion of the EU sanctions regime.
According to a document obtained by The Kyiv Independent, the European External Action Service has prepared a proposal covering 827 entities and 744 individuals, representing almost 1,600 proposed new listings.
The package would focus particularly on Russia’s defence-industrial complex, including companies and executives connected to shipbuilding, aviation, electronics, armoured-vehicle repair and aerospace.
The proposal is expected to be discussed by EU ambassadors on October 7, with formal approval by foreign ministers scheduled for October 12. If adopted, it would represent the largest single package of EU sanctions listings to date. (The Kyiv Independent)
The proposed expansion therefore comes at the same time as EU governments are debating whether certain existing individual designations should be renewed.
Renewed attention on the evidentiary basis
The developments have also brought renewed attention to the evidence and legal reasoning underlying individual sanctions designations.
EU sanctions can impose significant restrictions on listed individuals, including asset freezes and travel bans. At the same time, designated individuals have legal avenues to challenge the measures before the EU courts.
An independent expert review published by the International Sanctions Delisting Commission (ISDC) has examined the publicly available legal, factual and evidentiary record concerning the continued EU designation of Alisher Usmanov.
The review examines the original grounds for designation, subsequent developments and the evidence available in the public record, applying published standards concerning provenance, authenticity, relevance, reliability and corroboration. The ISDC states that it does not impose, maintain or remove sanctions and that its assessments are independent of government decision-making. (Sanctions Review)
The review is available through the Sanctions Review Registry:
Alisher Usmanov: Does the Current Evidentiary Record Still Support Continued EU Designation?
The broader significance of the current debate is therefore not limited to the status of two individuals. It raises questions about how individual sanctions are maintained, reviewed and challenged while the EU continues to expand its sanctions framework.
A changing sanctions framework
The contrast between the two developments is notable.
On one side, Brussels is preparing almost 1,600 new designations aimed primarily at Russia’s military-industrial infrastructure. On the other, EU governments are debating whether existing individual designations should continue in specific cases.
That distinction matters because sanctions lists are not static. Individual designations are subject to legal requirements, periodic renewal and judicial scrutiny, while the underlying factual circumstances can change over time.
For businesses, financial institutions and individuals affected by EU sanctions, the latest developments underscore the importance of examining the specific legal grounds and evidentiary record associated with an individual designation rather than treating the sanctions regime as a single uniform instrument.
For now, the immediate question is whether the EU’s 27 member states can reach unanimity before the September 22 deadline. The outcome will determine not only the status of the existing sanctions regime, but also how Brussels approaches the review and renewal of individual designations going forward.