Story perspectives

EU extends Russia sanctions on 3,000 targets for 36 months

By Drooid · Sep 22, 2026, 2:12 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

EU ambassadors met in Brussels on 21 September 2026 to negotiate renewal of sanctions covering about 3,000 targets.
France and Slovakia advocated removing oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the EU sanctions list.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha and sanctions envoy Vladyslav Vlasiuk warned delisting would weaken accountability toward Moscow.
The provisional deal would extend restrictions on about 3,000 Russian targets for 36 months, double the usual term.

History

Historical Context

After Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, the EU imposed its first coordinated sanctions, freezing assets of Russian officials and companies. Since February 2022 the bloc has barred exports to Russia worth €43.9 billion and imports worth €91.2 billion, illustrating an expanding economic campaign. EU diplomats now debate extending the list of Russian oligarchs, following the same leverage used in 2014.

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Story summary

EU ambassadors met in Brussels on 21 September 2026 to negotiate renewal of sanctions covering about 3,000 targets.
France and Slovakia advocated removing oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the EU sanctions list.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha and sanctions envoy Vladyslav Vlasiuk warned delisting would weaken accountability toward Moscow.
The provisional deal would extend restrictions on about 3,000 Russian targets for 36 months, double the usual term.

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