Removing Russian oligarchs from the European Union (EU) sanctions list sets a dangerous precedent. Sanctions relief that is traded for concessions unrelated to Russia’s conduct undermines the very logic of the sanctions regime, stresses a joint statement signed on Friday, 25 September, by members of several national parliaments of European countries and the European Parliament, calling on EU Member States to maintain a coordinated and effective sanctions policy.
In support of Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion and in favour of the effective and consistent implementation and maintenance of the sanctions regime, the statement was signed by Evika Siliņa, Chair of the Saeima European Affairs Committee, Ināra Mūrniece, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Raimonds Bergmanis, Chair of the Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee, as well as MP Juris Viļums.
In the statement, the parliamentarians express grave concern regarding the removal of Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the EU sanctions list. The parliamentarians stress that these individuals were subject to sanctions as key financial and material pillars of the Russian regime. For decades, they have directly benefited from the Kremlin system, contributed to the destabilisation of Ukraine and supported the economic base that sustains Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
The delisting raises serious concerns about the consistency, credibility, and effectiveness of the EU's restrictive-measures policy. Any such decision must rest on a rigorous, individualised assessment of the applicable listing criteria, the evidence underlying the designation, and any subsequent developments that may constitute legally relevant grounds for delisting. As the parliamentarians emphasise, no information is available regarding such an assessment in respect of these individuals.
Delisting would signal to the thousands of other persons on the list, and to the third countries acting on their behalf, that designations can be undone through sustained lobbying or diplomatic pressure. This would invite further delisting demands, expose individual EU Member States to coercion, and erode the deterrent effect of the EU's restrictive measures as a whole, the statement says.
The European parliamentarians who signed the statement highlight Latvia’s principled stance on this matter and its decision to impose national sanctions, urging other countries to follow Latvia’s example.
The parliamentarians call on EU Member States to maintain a coordinated and effective sanctions policy. The restrictive-measures policy must remain legally robust, evidence-based, consistent, and effectively enforceable for as long as the circumstances giving rise to those measures persist.
Saeima Press Service