Ukraine anger as EU removes Russian oligarchs from sanctions list

The European Union is to remove sanctions on two oligarchs imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to reports, prompting anger in Ukraine. France had campaigned for Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov to be taken off the list, citing "national security concerns". Luxembourg called for the removal of Russian-Israeli businessman Mikhail Fridman, who is suing the country for the release of frozen assets. Latvia initially opposed the deal but agreed to a compromise, part of which involved extending sanctions on nearly 3,000 other individuals and entities for three years. Ukrainian officials said the move was "unacceptable" and sent the wrong signal to Moscow.