Why the EU sanctions Russian oligarchs

Berlin Russian oligarchs, who have been sanctioned by the EU and the USA, are now condemning the war in Ukraine. However, they do not express any direct criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian steel magnate Alexey Mordashov speaks of a “tragedy for two brotherly nations”. The major shareholder of the Tui travel group does not condemn Moscow’s war of aggression. Instead he writes that “it’s terrible that Ukrainians and Russians are dying” and “the economy is collapsing”.

However, Mordashov criticized the sanctions imposed on him: “I don’t understand why the EU imposed sanctions on me.” He had “never been close to politics” and “absolutely nothing to do with the origin of the current geopolitical tensions,” as he says Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The European Union sees things differently. According to the EU sanctions regulation, Mordashov, head of the Severgroup steel group, “benefits from his connections to Russian decision-makers”.