The Council of the European Union has extended sanctions against individuals responsible for undermining or threatening Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence for another six months until 15 September.
The sanctions list includes about 2,600 individuals and legal entities. According to the report, five deceased people were excluded from it. In addition, the EU Council decided not to extend sanctions against two people. According to DW, we are talking about the Dutch oil trader Niels Troost and the daughter of the head of “Transneft” Maya Bolotov.
The sanctions provide for travel restrictions on individuals, freezing of assets and a ban on the provision of funds or other economic resources to individuals and entities on the list.
Earlier, Radio Liberty, citing several people familiar with the matter but not authorised to speak publicly, wrote that Bratislava had stepped up attempts to get Usmanov and Russian-Israeli oligarch Mikhail Fridman removed from the sanctions list – as it had already done during the previous discussion and extension of the sanctions in September 2025.
Budapest is also trying to get oligarchs Dmitry Mazepin, Pyotr Aven, Musa Bazhaev and Albert Avdolyan removed from the list.
After 24 February 2022, in response to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, the EU significantly expanded sanctions against Russia to significantly weaken Russia’s economic base, deprive it of critical technologies and markets, and significantly limit its ability to wage war.
As stated in the text supported by 25 Heads of State or Government at the European Council meeting on 18 December 2025, the EU reaffirms its continued and unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity and will continue to provide political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine.
The EU Council press release adds that the EU remains determined to support and increase pressure on Russia to end its brutal war of aggression and start meaningful negotiations for peace.