The EU’s contradictory stance on the Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman reveals a troubling inconsistency between political actions and legal orders. Despite the annulment of his sanctions by the EU’s own courts, Fridman remains sanctioned, and his assets frozen. This is more than a legal anomaly—it is a reflection of the deeper politicization of the sanctions process. Fridman filed a $16B lawsuit against Luxemburg.
A proxy war is taking place in Ukraine between the NATO states led by the US and Russia. Western sanctions are playing a decisive role in this. Recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings have annulled sanctions against prominent Russian oligarchs, including Dmitry Pumpyansky, Mikhail Fridman, and Petr Aven. These decisions highlight significant legal and procedural issues associated with these economic sanctions.
The European Court of Justice has handed down a verdict favoring two prominent Russian oligarchs, Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman, against the EU's sanctions. The General Court annulled their inclusion in the sanctions list. These sanctions were imposed in response to Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine, casting a shadow of controversy over the EU's measures to penalize those deemed to be undermining Ukraine's sovereignty.