President Zelensky Criticizes EU's Failure to Renew Sanctions on Russian Oligarchs
President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly criticized the European Union for its failure to reach an agreement on extending sanctions against Russian oligarchs and businesses. In remarks made on September 12, Zelensky labeled the situation as 'immoral and self-destructive.' The EU faces a deadline of September 15 to renew sanctions on over 3,000 Russian entities and individuals, but an agreement was not reached on September 11. The previous extension of these measures was on March 14. Slovakia is reportedly hindering the agreement by advocating for the lifting of sanctions against Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov. For the first time, France has joined Slovakia in pushing for Usmanov's delisting, a move that has caused 'huge frustration' among other EU member states, according to four EU diplomats. Zelensky specifically named Fridman and Usmanov in a social media post, urging the EU to increase pressure on Russia's business sector rather than easing sanctions, especially given ongoing dr...
