Russian oligarchs and companies have made a total of 61 requests to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) against the sanctions imposed by the invasion of Ukraine, according to estimates by the daily newspaper Bild based on court documents.
The newspaper points to examples such as that of Russian oligarchs Grigory Berezkin and Gennady Timchenko, who are seeking compensation for “moral damage” they allegedly suffered as a result of sanctions.
Berezkin, who is seeking a symbolic payment of 1 euro in damages, claims in his request that his reputation has been “seriously damaged” and that “there is no material connection between him and Russian policy in Ukraine”. supports the Government of the Russian Federation.
Timchenko, who lives in Switzerland, is asking for €1 million in damages and accusing the European Union (EU) of “error of judgment” about “the relationship between the author of the request and President Vladimir Putin”.
The group consists of Roman Abramovich, former owner of the English football club Chelsea, and Mikhail Fridman, founder and manager of the major financial group Alfa-Group.
On Friday, the EU approved a sanctions exemption for maritime transport of fertilizers and food to facilitate transactions of Russian agricultural products, fertilizers and fertilizers with third countries, which in practice benefits Russian oligarchs.
The decision, taken at the summit of EU leaders, in the ninth round of sanctions against Russia in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, will give owners of key companies in the fertilizer and food sectors access to frozen financial resources, making management easier. facilitated by the authorities ports, which are at risk of carrying out transactions in violation of European sanctions.
Successive rounds of European sanctions against Russia have never affected trade in fertilizers or Russian agricultural products, but now the 27, led by six member states with port interests, explicitly state the exceptions granted to owners of key companies in the sector. of commercial transactions.
The decision makes it possible to unfreeze the economic resources “necessary” for the purchase, import or transport of agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilizers.
Source: DN
