Bloomberg: Britain Refuses To Lift Sanctions On Usmanov And Friedman

• 24.09.2026, 22:01

London will not follow Brussels' example.

Britain does not support the EU’s decision to lift sanctions against Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman and does not intend to lift the restrictions on them.

This was stated by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Bloomberg.

Talks between the British prime minister and the Ukrainian president took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. According to the publication’s sources, Bernham made it clear that London would not follow Brussels’ lead.

The British prime minister emphasized that Ukraine’s international partners must continue to maintain tough sanctions. This is necessary to maintain economic pressure on Russia and force it to end the war.

Journalists note that such criticism highlights a rare rift between the positions of Britain and the European Union on sanctions against Russia. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the allies have largely acted in complete unison.

The official Downing Street report following the meeting between Bernam and Zelenskyy did not directly mention the EU’s decisions.

At the same time, the document noted that the politicians discussed the need to continue and intensify sanctions pressure on the Kremlin to force it to the negotiating table.

As a reminder, after lengthy negotiations, the EU extended sanctions against Russia—for three years at once. At the same time, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were removed from the list of anti-Russian sanctions.