Lithuania imposes five-year entry bans on Usmanov and Fridman

Lithuania began imposing national sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman last Friday, including five-year bans on entering the country, LRT reported.

The Migration Department added the two men to Lithuania’s list of undesirable persons after the interior minister approved a proposal from the foreign minister, department representative Rokas Pukinskas told BNS. The bans can be reviewed and extended if necessary.

Latvia and Estonia also plan to impose national sanctions on the two businessmen. The European Union removed them from its sanctions lists earlier this month after several member states called for the measures to be lifted.

French officials cited national security interests in seeking to lift sanctions on Usmanov but declined to provide further details. The Financial Times reported that the request may have been connected to a possible agreement to secure the release of French citizens held in Azerbaijan.

Diplomats said Luxembourg sought to lift sanctions on Fridman because he had sued the country for 15 billion euros in damages over the freezing of his assets under EU sanctions.

Latvia’s government describes Usmanov as an influential Russian businessman with ties to President Vladimir Putin and the main shareholder of USM Holdings. Fridman is also described as a businessman close to Putin and the main shareholder of Alfa Group.

Last week, EU member states agreed to extend for three years sanctions against nearly 3,000 people and entities linked to Russia’s aggression.