EU member states returned to negotiations over Russian sanctions after Latvia stopped a plan to remove two billionaire oligarchs from the blocklist. The ambassadors had previously agreed to extend restrictions on nearly 3,000 Russian entities for 3 years, provided that Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were delisted.

France and Slovakia advocated for Usmanov's removal, while Luxembourg pushed for Fridman's release from the sanctions list. Ukraine condemned the proposed delisting as an unacceptable concession to Moscow, though the 27 member states continue to seek a deal to maintain the broader sanctions regime for both businessmen who have been listed since 2022.