Latvia blocks EU deal to spare Russia-linked billionaires Usmanov and Fridman from sanctions as 2,600-name list faces collapse

From the Newshound archive · first published 22 September 2026.

Latvia has single-handedly wrecked a last-ditch compromise that would have removed Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the EU's Russia sanctions list, with Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs insisting Europe's pressure on Moscow must grow stronger rather than more convenient for the Kremlin. The entire sanctions regime — covering 2,600 names including Vladimir Putin — will collapse automatically if member states cannot agree a renewal by the end of Tuesday, with fresh talks resuming this afternoon after both Latvia and France refused to back down in morning negotiations.

France triggered the crisis by demanding Usmanov's removal in exchange for the release of two French nationals jailed in Azerbaijan, outraging fellow EU members.