The European Union has recently been shaken by an internal power struggle over the lifting of individual sanctions against several Russian oligarchs, including Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, an event that has caused strong controversy and firm denunciation from Kyiv. This development comes as the EU strives to maintain a united front against Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with a sanctions regime now affecting over 3,000 Russian citizens and companies. The decision to remove Usmanov and Fridman from the sanctions lists was not unanimous. The approval process was particularly tense and saw Lithuania firmly oppose this measure until the last minute. According to The Bell, Lithuania initially blocked the approval on Monday, making the maintenance of sanctions a major political point as the deadline approaches...
There is strong dissonance surrounding the lifting of sanctions. Western sources (liberal/generalist) confirm the renewal of sanctions but also mention the delisting of certain oligarchs like Usmanov and Fridman. The Dissident bloc (liberal) provides much more in-depth and repeated coverage, revealing the complexity of negotiations, the opposition (Latvia), and...
This synthesis compares media coverage and flags blind spots, biases and conflicts of interest around this topic.
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