# Latvia Blocks EU Deal Linking Russia Sanctions Extension to Oligarch Delisting

*Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 10:07 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-22T10:07:48.142Z (1h ago)
**Category**: geopolitics | **Region**: Europe
**Importance**: 7/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/18545.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: EU ambassadors failed to agree on renewing sanctions against Russia after Latvia refused to back a proposal to remove oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the blacklist in exchange for a three‑year extension.

Europe’s Russia sanctions policy has hit a political snag. EU ambassadors have not agreed on extending the bloc’s restrictions on Moscow after Latvia rejected a proposed compromise to remove two high‑profile oligarchs from the blacklist.

According to diplomats, France had pushed a package under which sanctions against Russia would be prolonged for three years in exchange for lifting measures on business magnates Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. Both men were sanctioned in connection with Russia’s war against Ukraine. Latvia refused to go along, blocking the consensus required among member states.

The result is that, for now, there is no finalized EU decision on renewing the Russia sanctions framework or delisting the two tycoons. A separate report, citing EU representatives, said that an agreement to cancel sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman had been reached in principle, but that the broader decision on Russia sanctions was not adopted because Latvia opposed easing pressure on them.

For policymakers in Brussels and national capitals, the dispute goes to the purpose of sanctions. Some governments have signaled they’re open to recalibrating the list as legal challenges mount and as they look for ways to incentivize behavior changes by Russian elites. Others, especially in the Baltic states, argue that rolling back measures on oligarchs sends the wrong signal while Russian missiles are still hitting Ukrainian cities and energy facilities.

The stakes reach beyond the individuals involved. Sanctions determine whether targeted people can travel, access European banking systems or manage assets across the EU. For Ukrainians under fire, these decisions are a proxy for how serious Europe remains about raising the cost for Russia’s political and financial backers. For European businesses and banks, they shape compliance risk and the complexity of dealing with any Russian‑linked capital.

Strategically, the deadlock could be used by Moscow to question Western unity. The Kremlin has long argued that Europe lacks the political stamina to maintain tough measures indefinitely. A visible public split over two oligarchs—rather than over major energy or weapons restrictions—offers Moscow an opening to claim that the coalition arrayed against it is fraying at the edges.

The timing underlines the pressure. On the ground in Ukraine, Russia is still firing ballistic missiles at energy infrastructure, with Naftogaz reporting that a facility in Poltava region was effectively destroyed by a five‑missile salvo on 22 September. Inside Russia, Ukraine has begun hitting refineries and drone hubs that feed the war effort. In that environment, sanctions are one of the few tools European governments wield that can reach into Russia’s power structures without firing a shot.

The next signals to watch will come from the EU’s internal negotiations. A revised compromise that keeps Usmanov and Fridman on the list while still extending the sanctions’ legal basis is one path. Another is a shorter, time‑limited extension that postpones the oligarch question. Member states will also be watching how national courts handle legal appeals by sanctioned Russians, which could narrow the political room for maneuver in Brussels just as governments try to show resolve to Kyiv.