
EU envoys renew sanctions on Russian individuals, entities
The European Union agreed on Friday to renew sanctions on Russian individuals and entities but kept Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman on the list despite pressure from Hungary, EU diplomats said.
EU sanctions must be renewed every six months in a unanimous vote by the 27 member states' ambassadors to Brussels. The deadline for renewal was Saturday and the list has now been renewed until September 15.
Hungary, which has maintained cordial ties with Moscow despite the Ukraine war, had threatened to block the renewal unless certain individuals were delisted.
Two diplomats said Budapest had initially asked for nine names to be removed from the list, including Fridman's, but the other envoys managed to reduce the number to three Russians.
They are Gulbakhor Ismailova, who is the sister of prominent businessman Alisher Usmanov, businessman Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor and Russian sports minister Mikhail Degtyarev.
A fourth, businessman Vladimir Rashevsky, was removed due to a weak legal case rather than pressure from Budapest.
Three others were removed from the list because they have died.
The EU has more than 2,400 individuals and entities on its Russia sanctions list.
Reuters
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Ya Libnan
8 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
California governor calls Trump a 'dictator', says National Guard deployment in LA unlawful
A man waves a Mexican flag as smoke and flames rise from a burning vehicle during a protest against federal immigration sweeps, near Los Angeles City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 8, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson California National Guard troops were deployed to the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday to help quell a third day of protests over President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement, a step the state's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, called unlawful. Police were making more arrests after at least 10 on Sunday and 29 the previous night, Los Angeles police officers told a news briefing. National Guard troops guarded federal government buildings, as police and protesters clashed in separate demonstrations over federal immigration raids in Los Angeles. Los Angeles police declared several rallies to be 'unlawful assemblies', accusing some protesters of throwing concrete projectiles, bottles and other items at police. Video images showed several self-driving cars from Alphabet's Waymo were set ablaze on a downtown street on Sunday evening. Los Angeles police officers on horseback attempted to control the crowds. Demonstrators shouted 'Shame on you!' at police and some appeared to throw objects, video images showed. One group blocked the 101 Freeway, a major downtown thoroughfare. Groups of protesters, many carrying Mexican flags and signs denouncing U.S. immigration authorities, gathered in spots around the city. The Los Angeles branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation organized speakers outside City Hall for an afternoon rally. California Governor Gavin Newsom said he requested the Trump administration to withdraw its order to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles county, calling it unlawful. In an interview with MSNBC, Newsom said he planned to sue the administration over the deployment, adding that Trump 'has created the conditions' around the protests. Newsom accused Trump of trying to manufacture a crisis and violating California's state sovereignty. 'These are the acts of a dictator, not a president,' he wrote in a post on X. However, Police Chief Jim McDonnell told a media briefing on Sunday night that the protests were getting out of control. Asked if the National Guard was needed, McDonnell said police would not 'go to that right away,' but added, 'Looking at the violence tonight, I think we've got to make a reassessment.' In a social media post, Trump called on McDonnell to do so. 'He should, right now!!!' Trump added. 'Don't let these thugs get away with this. Make America great again!!!' The White House disputed Newsom's characterization, saying in a statement, 'Everyone saw the chaos, violence and lawlessness.' Earlier, about a dozen National Guard, along with Department of Homeland Security personnel, pushed back a group of demonstrators outside a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, video showed. U.S. Northern Command said 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed to three spots in the Los Angeles area. Their mission was limited to protecting federal personnel and property. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump called the demonstrators 'violent, insurrectionist mobs' and said he was directing his cabinet officers 'to take all such action necessary' to stop what he called 'riots.' Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, he threatened violence against demonstrators who spit on police or National Guard troops, saying, 'They spit, we hit.' He did not cite any specific incidents. 'If we see danger to our country and to our citizens, it will be very, very strong in terms of law and order,' Trump said. The FBI offered a $50,000-reward for information on a suspect accused of throwing rocks at police vehicles in Paramount, injuring a federal officer. Despite Trump's rhetoric about the demonstrations, he has not invoked the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that empowers a president to deploy the U.S. military to suppress events like civil disorder. Asked on Sunday whether he was considering doing so, he said, 'It depends on whether or not there's an insurrection.' 'HIGH ALERT' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that the Pentagon was prepared to mobilize active-duty troops 'if violence continues' in Los Angeles, saying the Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were on 'high alert.' U.S. Northern Command said about 500 Marines were prepared to deploy if ordered. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed the Trump administration for inciting tension by sending in the National Guard, but also condemned protesters who became violent. 'I don't want people to fall into the chaos that I believe is being created by the administration completely unnecessarily,' Bass told a press conference. Vanessa Cárdenas, the head of the immigration advocacy group America's Voice, accused the Trump administration of 'trumping up an excuse to abuse power, and deliberately stoke and force confrontations around immigration.' On Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS' 'Face the Nation' that the National Guard would provide safety around buildings to people engaged in peaceful protest and to law enforcement. Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the U.S.-Mexico border, setting ICE a goal of arresting at least 3,000 migrants a day. Census data suggests a significant part of the population in Democratic-run Los Angeles is Hispanic and foreign-born. But the sweeping enforcement measures have also included legally residents, some with permanent residence, spurring legal challenges. On Sunday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized the U.S. government over the immigration raids and National guard deployment. 'We do not agree with this way of addressing the immigration issue,' Sheinbaum, who has sought to cultivate a positive relationship with Trump, said at a public event. 'The phenomenon will not be addressed with raids or violence. It will be by sitting down and working on comprehensive reform.' TRUMP'S JUSTIFICATION Trump's justification for the National Guard deployment cited a provision of Title 10 of the U.S. Code on the Armed Forces. However, Title 10 also says the 'orders for these purposes shall be issued through the governors of the States.' It was not immediately clear if the president had the legal authority to deploy the National Guard without Newsom's order. Title 10 allows for National Guard deployment by the federal government if there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States.' Those troops are only allowed to engage in limited activities and cannot undertake ordinary law enforcement activities. Trump's memo says the troops will 'temporarily protect ICE and other United States government personnel who are performing federal functions, including the enforcement of federal law, and to protect federal property, at locations where protests against these functions are occurring, or are likely to occur.'


MTV Lebanon
a day ago
- MTV Lebanon
Russian attacks on Ukraine's Kharkiv kills four, wounds at least 60
Russia attacked the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv at night and in the evening with drones, missiles and guided bombs, killing at least four people and injuring more than 60, including a baby, local officials said on Saturday. One of Ukraine's largest cities, Kharkiv is located just a few dozen kilometres from the Russian border and has been under constant Russian shelling during more than three years of war. "Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war," city mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said on the Telegram messenger early on Saturday. Dozens of explosions were heard in the city through the night and Russian troops were striking simultaneously with missiles, drones and guided aerial bombs, he said. Multi-storey and private residential buildings, educational and infrastructure facilities were attacked, Terekhov noted. Photos by local authorities and Reuters showed burnt and partially destroyed houses and vehicles, and of rescuers carrying those injured to safety and removing debris. Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said that one of the city's civilian industrial facilities was attacked by 40 drones, one missile and four bombs, causing a fire, adding there may still be people under the rubble. In the evening, Russian aircraft once again attacked Kharkiv with guided bombs, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called "another brutal murder". "It was a brutal blow to the city in broad daylight, and in fact, they have been attacking our city of Kharkiv for the entire day," Zelenskiy said in his evening statement. "Last night, there was a massive drone strike on Kharkiv, and now there are aerial bombs. Dozens of people have been injured in the past 24 hours." he said. The Ukrainian military said Russia launched 206 drones, two ballistic and seven other missiles against Ukraine overnight. It said its air defence units shot down 87 drones while another 80 drones were lost - in reference to the Ukrainian military using electronic warfare to redirect them - or they were drone simulators that did not carry warheads. Ten locations were hit, the military said.


Al Manar
2 days ago
- Al Manar
Russia Says Ukraine Stalls POW Exchange and Return of Fallen Soldiers
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Ukraine is indefinitely delaying a planned exchange of prisoners of war and the repatriation of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers' bodies, despite Moscow's readiness and prior arrangements. According to Alexander Zorin, head of the General Staff's main directorate, Russia had initiated the return of over 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers on June 6. A convoy carrying 1,212 remains had already arrived at the exchange site, with four more trains—each transporting approximately 1,200 bodies—preparing for transfer. Zorin affirmed Russia's full commitment to the Istanbul agreements, offering to exchange all prisoners on an 'all-for-all' basis, including the wounded, critically ill, and those under 25. He added that a list of 640 names was submitted to Ukrainian authorities, who have yet to respond with a date for either receiving the bodies or reciprocating the prisoner exchange. Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky echoed these claims, stating that Kyiv's sudden refusal to proceed came despite Russia's formal invitation to retrieve the bodies—an act aimed at giving families the right to a dignified burial. He further invited international media to witness Russia's preparedness on the ground, confirming that the initial batch of bodies had already reached the designated exchange zone, while additional shipments were en route. Vladimir Medinsky spoke to us about Kiev's sudden refusal to take back 6,000 bodies of their dead. 'Families will have opportunity to bury their close ones in a Christian manner. We are here, we are ready to fulfil our agreements. Accept the bodies, the POWs, and the sick. Let… — Margarita Simonyan (@M_Simonyan) June 7, 2025 Medinsky accused Ukraine of obstructing the agreements, alleging that Kyiv may be stalling to avoid financial obligations—namely, compensation payments announced in 2023 of $257,000 per fallen soldier. According to him, no Ukrainian families have received these funds to date, and concealing the return of such a large number of bodies is becoming increasingly difficult. Moscow Pushes for Lasting Peace Amid Diplomatic Gridlock The second round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations took place earlier this week at Istanbul's Çırağan Palace, lasting more than an hour and involving the exchange of memoranda on conflict resolution mechanisms. Russia – Ukraine negotiations, Istanbul, Türkiye. 'We aim to discuss ceasefire requirements of both sides in Russia-Ukraine talks'. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan 'We expect a real result from today's meeting in Istanbul: a ceasefire, exchange of prisoners, return of… — Intel Edge (@Intel_edge1) June 2, 2025 Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a government video conference, instructed Medinsky to present a full report on the outcomes of the talks. Medinsky noted that Kyiv expressed interest in a 30-day ceasefire to prepare for a potential summit, while Moscow insisted on negotiating a comprehensive peace agreement rather than settling for a temporary truce. Despite ongoing dialogue, Ukraine has yet to act on its commitments, while Russia continues to push for implementation of the agreed exchanges—against the backdrop of mounting Ukrainian challenges related to prisoner numbers and unpaid death compensations.