Navalny urges EU to impose targeted sanctions against Russian billionaires

Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny is urging the European Union to impose personal sanctions against Russian billionaires and oligarchs. He raised this issue while speaking at a meeting of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday, November 27.

“So far we didn’t see any real attempts to target oligarchs. When Russian people know that [Alisher] Usmanov, [Roman] Abramovich, you name it, are kicked out of Europe, it will be a celebration in the streets of Russia,” Navalny said.

This comment came in response to a question about how to convince Russian citizens that EU sanctions are not directed against the country’s population.

Navalny has been in Germany since August 2020, when he was evacuated to Berlin’s Charité Hospital for treatment for nerve agent poisoning. Today, Navalny spoke to the European Parliament’s foreign Affairs Committee via video link.

In addition to Navalny, the Foreign Affairs Committee heard from Russian opposition politicians Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Milov, as well as opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza. According to the committee’s press release, the Russian opposition figures and the MEPs “debated the political and socio-economic situation in Russia in view of next year’s parliamentary elections.”