The French Foreign Ministry has declined to name the international partners pressing for Alisher Usmanov’s removal from the EU sanctions list and has not explained the “national security considerations” it cited earlier. Paris has confirmed that it supports taking the Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov off the European Union’s sanctions list,...
US House passes Graham sanctions against Russia
The U.S. House of Representatives on September 16 gave final approval to a bill tightening sanctions on Russia, named after the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. The measure passed 262–159. The Senate approved it in August, so the bill will now be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature....
Finnish Customs investigates €5.9 million in shipments to Russia that circumvented sanctions
Finnish Customs is investigating an alleged circumvention of EU sanctions: goods worth about €5.9 million may have been exported to Russia in 2022–2023. Finnish broadcaster Yle reported this, citing Customs. According to investigators, the case involves two companies from eastern Finland. One handled export operations; the other stored the goods....
A tourist paradise for circumventing European sanctions
Tighter Western restrictions have not cut Russia off from dual-use technologies and sanctioned goods of European and American origin used in Russia’s defense industry. Having adapted to the sanctions, Moscow has widened the geography of supply through third countries — from traditional transit routes in Central Asia to tourist and...
EU Court rejects Abramovich’s sanctions challenge for a third time
The Court of Justice of the European Union on Wednesday, September 9, dismissed for the third time a lawsuit by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich seeking to lift EU restrictive measures imposed after Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The court said so in a statement. The sanctions against the businessman therefore...
Slovakia again blocks extension of individual EU sanctions against Russia
The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU member states on Wednesday, 9 September, again failed to agree on an extension of individual sanctions imposed for actions undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. The ambassadors’ meeting ended without any deal. The sole obstacle remains Slovakia’s position. Bratislava...
How European technologies keep reaching Russia’s defence industry through third countries
Despite expanding sanctions, European industrial and navigation technologies continue to reach Russia and Belarus through intermediaries, concealed end users, and re-exports from third countries. Investigations and law-enforcement statements released in August–September 2026 showed that the weak point of the sanctions regime remains control over goods after they have formally left...