Lithuania Imposes National Sanctions on Russian Billionaires Usmanov and Fridman
Lithuania has imposed national sanctions on Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, barring them from entering the country for five years. The decision comes amid Lithuania’s continued efforts to restrict the activities of individuals linked to Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Lithuanian broadcaster LRT reported this, citing Rokas Pukinskas, a representative of the Migration Department.
The decision came into effect on September 25. Lithuanian Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas, at the request of Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budris, decided to add Usmanov and Fridman to the list of “persona non grata.” The Migration Department then added them to the relevant list.
The entry ban will be in effect for five years. In the future, Lithuanian authorities can review the restrictions and extend them.
Latvia and Estonia also plan to impose national sanctions against Usmanov and Fridman.
Lithuania made this decision after the European Union removed two Russian billionaires from its sanctions lists.
The UK has previously said it will not lift sanctions on Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, even though the European Union has decided to remove them from its sanctions list. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in New York.
As a reminder, ambassadors from all 27 EU countries have agreed to lift sanctions on Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. However, there is no final decision yet – it can still be blocked by any EU country.