EU extends sanctions against Russia and Belarus for three years

September 21, 2026 at 08:42 PM1 min

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EU member states' permanent representatives agreed on September 21 to extend sanctions against Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities for three years. The decision, taken in Brussels, must now undergo a written procedure for final approval. Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were removed from the sanctions list.

Key Facts

The EU permanent representatives agreed on September 21 to extend sanctions against Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities for three years.
The decision must undergo a written procedure for final approval.
Previously, sanctions were extended for six-month periods.
Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were removed from the sanctions list.

Sanctions Extension

EU member states' permanent representatives agreed on September 21 to extend sanctions against Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities for three years. The decision was taken at a meeting in Brussels. The agreement must now undergo a written procedure for final approval. Previously, sanctions were extended for six-month periods.

Sanctions List Changes

Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were removed from the sanctions list. France and Slovakia had earlier supported removing Usmanov from the list. Luxembourg representatives disagreed with that position.