Latvia blocked the compromise that would have renewed European Union (EU) sanctions on almost 3,000 people and companies linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine, and ambassadors of the 27 will meet again on the morning of Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in a last attempt before the listings expire at midnight, according to Euractiv and The Guardian.

The deadlock began with France’s demand to delist Russian-Uzbek businessman Alisher Usmanov, on grounds Paris describes as “national security” and which diplomats link to the release of two French nationals held in Azerbaijan; the removal of businessman Mikhail Fridman was then sought by Luxembourg, the target of a $16 billion arbitration he has filed, according to The Guardian, while Slovakia vetoed keeping him on the list. In exchange for the delistings, Paris and Bratislava accepted widening the renewal period from six months to three years, a concession that did not convince Riga. Without unanimity by midnight, some 3,000 asset freezes and travel bans lapse at once. The sectoral sanctions on the Russian economy, renewed for a year in June, are not affected by this standoff.