The EU will lift sanctions against businessman Mndoyants and Slovak biker Gambalek – Kommersant

The European Union has decided to exclude three people from the anti-Russian sanctions list, sources said Reuters. As the agency has already reported, one of them will become founder and ex-head of Yandex Arkady Volozh. Sanctions will also be lifted against the executive vice president for government relations at Sistema JSFC Sergei Mndoyants and the head of the Slovak branch of the Russian motorcycle club Night Wolves Josef Gambalek.

Some restrictions expire on March 15th. The ambassadors of the EU countries agreed that their action will be extended, with the exception of measures against Messrs. Volozh, Mndoyants and Gambalek, Reuters claims. According to the agency’s source, sanctions against the founder of Yandex will be lifted against the background of his statements against the military actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

According to the EU, Mr. Mndoyants was a member of the board of a Russian think tank that advises the Kremlin on foreign and defense policy issues. Brussels accused Mr. Hambalek of preparing bikers for battles in Ukraine and of “spreading pro-Russian propaganda.” According to Reuters, the inclusion of these three people on the sanctions list was considered “legally unfounded.”

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico previously said that he would demand the removal of Josef Hambalek from the sanctions list. He noted that this is the only citizen of an EU country on the list. According to the prime minister, the only thing that can be blamed on Mr. Hambalek is his passion for riding a motorcycle. The ambassadors of the European Union countries agreed on the 13th package of sanctions the day before, on February 21. He concerns 193 individuals and legal entities.

Who may fall under EU sanctions – in the Kommersant material “Europe is adjusting sanctions”.

Leonid Uvarchev