De Telegraaf calls the Usmanov and Fridman delistings Kremlin blackmail; Latvia's prime minister, in Espreso TV, calls them the lesser of two bad options
The EU renewed its personal sanctions on Russia to 2029 and dropped two billionaires. A Dutch paper says Putin's pressure worked. A Ukrainian channel tells it through Latvia, which abstained rather than sink the whole list. Neither names the government that wanted the two men removed.
The decision. On 22 September the EU Council extended its personal sanctions on Russia for three years, to 22 September 2029. It took the billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman off the list, Espreso TV reports, citing Latvia's Delfi.
Two accounts, opposite frames.
| De Telegraaf | Espreso TV | |
|---|---|---|
| What the removals were | "a successful blackmail campaign" | "a choice between two unfavourable scenarios" |
| Whose words | the paper's own | Latvia's prime minister, Kulbergs |
| Who is named as acting | the Kremlin, which "can uncork the champagne" | the EU Council; Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia |
| Names the two men | no | yes |
Latvia's line. Espreso says Latvia opposed the removals to the end, then abstained rather than block the renewal. Kulbergs said failing to renew could have put the whole EU sanctions regime at risk. Lithuania and Estonia agreed to the removals, he said. Riga plans national sanctions on both men so their assets in Latvia stay frozen.
The Dutch line. De Telegraaf says one of the two is reportedly a favourite of "the Russian despot" Putin. It adds that the EU has delisted influential Russians before. We hold only its opening paragraph.
Not settled - Which government demanded the removals. Neither report names one. - Who made a threat, if anyone. De Telegraaf names no one. - When Latvia's national sanctions take effect.
What this is about. Whether the EU's sanctions on Russia can hold together when one government wants names taken off them.
How it got here. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The EU answered with sanctions in rounds. Some target trade and banks. Others target named people: their assets in the EU are frozen and they may not enter it. Businessmen seen as close to the Kremlin were listed in the first days of the invasion. Usmanov and Fridman were among them. Both have challenged their listings in the EU's courts.
Why one country can decide. EU sanctions need the agreement of all 27 governments. The personal list lapses unless it is renewed, and until now it was renewed every six months. Each renewal gives any one government a veto, and with it a bargaining chip. De Telegraaf notes that names have come off the list at such moments before.
The actors - The Council of the EU, where the 27 governments take the decision. - Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, former Soviet republics that joined the EU and NATO in 2004 and border Russia. They are among the firmest backers of sanctions. - Ukraine, the country invaded. Espreso TV says Kyiv was informed of Latvia's decision not to block, and President Zelensky thanked Riga. - A government that wanted the two men removed. Neither report names it.
What is at stake. Latvia's prime minister told Delfi that not renewing could have put the whole regime at risk. Renewing with two names removed keeps the list alive for three years. It also shows that the threat of a veto can get names taken off it.
Where it stands. The list now runs to 22 September 2029, without Usmanov and Fridman. Latvia says it will sanction both men on its own.
The story so far
- Ukrainska Pravda says Slovakia and France stalled the EU's Putin sanctions; Reuters says two Russia-linked tycoons come off the list · 21 Sep 2026
- Suspilne asks who Ukraine can prosecute over the Crimea vote; TASS says polling stations were bombed and "there are casualties" · 17 Sep 2026
- An-Nahar says a Russian drone hit a passenger train; Digi24's account of Moscow's warning mentions no strike · 15 Sep 2026
- Von der Leyen calls Russia "irresponsible and dangerous" over flares at Danish helicopter; Moscow's envoy blames Danish communications · 15 Sep 2026
- Life.ru says the prosecutor general fled Ukraine; Espreso TV says he booked himself five days in Paris · 14 Sep 2026
- Rutte calls the train strike Putin's "desperation"; Pistorius calls it "a deliberate escalation" · 14 Sep 2026
- The Insider says a locomotive, the Jerusalem Post says a truck, Ziarul de Gardă says a filling station · 13 Sep 2026
- Regnum says Trump "demanded", Ukrainska Pravda says he "asked", Vedomosti says the ask was not to block Russian diesel exports · 13 Sep 2026
Earlier stories The AI Times filed on this thread.
What is being argued about
- Why the EU dropped Usmanov and Fridman from its Russia list
- Whether the removals were blackmail or a forced compromise
- Latvia's abstention and its plan for national sanctions
- Which government pressed for the removals — neither report says
One decision, two storiesSide by side
| Outlet | What it calls the removals | Who is named as acting | Names Usmanov and Fridman? |
|---|---|---|---|
| De Telegraaf | "a successful blackmail campaign" — in the paper's own voice | the Kremlin; "the Russian despot" Putin | no |
| Espreso TV | "a choice between two unfavourable scenarios" — Latvia's prime minister | the EU Council; Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia | yes |
De Telegraaf: opening paragraph only. Quotes translated from Dutch and Ukrainian.
Sources
D
De Telegraaf
Poetins chantagetactieken werken: zo ontlopen Russische oligarchen opnieuw EU-sancties
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at De Telegraaf →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and aged, and his not-guilty plea is carried ×1Accused's voice carries the not-guilty plea and names the accused ×1Actor named Authorities named as the ones who made the arrests ×1Asserted vs attributed 'blackmail' stated flat, with no source and no named state that applied it ×1
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E
Espreso TV
Латвія єдина до останнього виступала проти виключення Усманова і Фрідмана зі санкцій ЄС, - прем’єр
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Espreso TV →
What we have measured
Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the shift to combat use. ×1Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the data-centre strike. Nobody is named behind the DDoS attack. ×1Actor named for the decision Names the EU Council as the body that acted and gives the date and the new expiry date. ×1Adopted wording The company's own word 'minor' sits next to the report's flat statement that customers could not send or receive parcels. ×1
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Centre-right
estimate · not a score
De Telegraaf
🇳🇱NL ·
newspaper · independent
Poetins chantagetactieken werken: zo ontlopen Russische oligarchen opnieuw EU-sancties
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at De Telegraaf →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and aged, and his not-guilty plea is carried ×1Accused's voice carries the not-guilty plea and names the accused ×1Actor named Authorities named as the ones who made the arrests ×1Asserted vs attributed 'blackmail' stated flat, with no source and no named state that applied it ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
E
Espreso TV
Centre
estimate · not a score
Espreso TV
🇺🇦UA ·
digital ·
Латвія єдина до останнього виступала проти виключення Усманова і Фрідмана зі санкцій ЄС, - прем’єр
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Espreso TV →
What we have measured
Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the shift to combat use. ×1Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the data-centre strike. Nobody is named behind the DDoS attack. ×1Actor named for the decision Names the EU Council as the body that acted and gives the date and the new expiry date. ×1Adopted wording The company's own word 'minor' sits next to the report's flat statement that customers could not send or receive parcels. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
From the decision to the two reportsTimeline
- Tue 22 Sep— no time published EU Council extends personal sanctions on Russia to 22 September 2029 and removes Usmanov and Fridman 3 yearsLatvia abstains, per Espreso TV
- Wed 23 Sep14:15 printed on the page De Telegraaf "Putin's blackmail tactics work"
- Wed 23 Sep14:20 printed on the page Espreso TV Latvia alone opposed the removals to the end, says its prime minister
Sources
D
De Telegraaf
Poetins chantagetactieken werken: zo ontlopen Russische oligarchen opnieuw EU-sancties
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at De Telegraaf →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and aged, and his not-guilty plea is carried ×1Accused's voice carries the not-guilty plea and names the accused ×1Actor named Authorities named as the ones who made the arrests ×1Asserted vs attributed 'blackmail' stated flat, with no source and no named state that applied it ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
E
Espreso TV
Латвія єдина до останнього виступала проти виключення Усманова і Фрідмана зі санкцій ЄС, - прем’єр
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Espreso TV →
What we have measured
Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the shift to combat use. ×1Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the data-centre strike. Nobody is named behind the DDoS attack. ×1Actor named for the decision Names the EU Council as the body that acted and gives the date and the new expiry date. ×1Adopted wording The company's own word 'minor' sits next to the report's flat statement that customers could not send or receive parcels. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
De Telegraaf
🇳🇱NL ·
newspaper · independent
Poetins chantagetactieken werken: zo ontlopen Russische oligarchen opnieuw EU-sancties
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at De Telegraaf →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and aged, and his not-guilty plea is carried ×1Accused's voice carries the not-guilty plea and names the accused ×1Actor named Authorities named as the ones who made the arrests ×1Asserted vs attributed 'blackmail' stated flat, with no source and no named state that applied it ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
E
Espreso TV
Centre
estimate · not a score
Espreso TV
🇺🇦UA ·
digital ·
Латвія єдина до останнього виступала проти виключення Усманова і Фрідмана зі санкцій ЄС, - прем’єр
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Espreso TV →
What we have measured
Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the shift to combat use. ×1Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the data-centre strike. Nobody is named behind the DDoS attack. ×1Actor named for the decision Names the EU Council as the body that acted and gives the date and the new expiry date. ×1Adopted wording The company's own word 'minor' sits next to the report's flat statement that customers could not send or receive parcels. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias
Blackmail by whom?
One report calls the delistings a successful blackmail campaign and credits the Kremlin. The other tells it through Latvia's prime minister and names Lithuania and Estonia as agreeing. Neither names the member state that held out for the delistings.
1 reports that call it blackmail
0 reports that name the state demanding the delistings
1 reports that name the two men dropped
2 reports in the set
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources
D
De Telegraaf
Poetins chantagetactieken werken: zo ontlopen Russische oligarchen opnieuw EU-sancties
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at De Telegraaf →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and aged, and his not-guilty plea is carried ×1Accused's voice carries the not-guilty plea and names the accused ×1Actor named Authorities named as the ones who made the arrests ×1Asserted vs attributed 'blackmail' stated flat, with no source and no named state that applied it ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
E
Espreso TV
Латвія єдина до останнього виступала проти виключення Усманова і Фрідмана зі санкцій ЄС, - прем’єр
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Espreso TV →
What we have measured
Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the shift to combat use. ×1Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the data-centre strike. Nobody is named behind the DDoS attack. ×1Actor named for the decision Names the EU Council as the body that acted and gives the date and the new expiry date. ×1Adopted wording The company's own word 'minor' sits next to the report's flat statement that customers could not send or receive parcels. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
De Telegraaf
🇳🇱NL ·
newspaper · independent
Poetins chantagetactieken werken: zo ontlopen Russische oligarchen opnieuw EU-sancties
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at De Telegraaf →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and aged, and his not-guilty plea is carried ×1Accused's voice carries the not-guilty plea and names the accused ×1Actor named Authorities named as the ones who made the arrests ×1Asserted vs attributed 'blackmail' stated flat, with no source and no named state that applied it ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
E
Espreso TV
Centre
estimate · not a score
Espreso TV
🇺🇦UA ·
digital ·
Латвія єдина до останнього виступала проти виключення Усманова і Фрідмана зі санкцій ЄС, - прем’єр
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Espreso TV →
What we have measured
Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the shift to combat use. ×1Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the data-centre strike. Nobody is named behind the DDoS attack. ×1Actor named for the decision Names the EU Council as the body that acted and gives the date and the new expiry date. ×1Adopted wording The company's own word 'minor' sits next to the report's flat statement that customers could not send or receive parcels. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Claims and verdicts
No claims registered.
Who wrote it
А
Анна Хотіна
Espreso TV
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Actor named for the decision
Names the EU Council as the body that acted and gives the date and the new expiry date.×1
Attacker attributed
Russian responsibility attributed to Zelensky×1
Death toll
the headline gives one dead, the captain; the body carries a Romanian ministry figure of two dead×1
Death toll
carries both the one-dead account and Romania's interior ministry figure of two dead×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 disputed3 unverified1 true
From 326 reports we hold under this byline, at
Espreso TV. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
A
Alexander Bakker
De Telegraaf
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Asserted vs attributed
'blackmail' stated flat, with no source and no named state that applied it×1
Editorial opening
Opens on an image of the Kremlin celebrating, not on the decision itself.×1
Hedge
the key claim about one oligarch is hedged×1
Judgement stated flat
Calls the delistings the result of a 'successful blackmail campaign', without attribution.×1
From 51 reports we hold under this byline, at
De Telegraaf. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting.
Coverage, outlet by outlet
E
Espreso TV
Латвія єдина до останнього виступала проти виключення Усманова і Фрідмана зі санкцій ЄС, - прем’єр
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Espreso TV →
What we have measured
Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the shift to combat use. ×1Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the data-centre strike. Nobody is named behind the DDoS attack. ×1Actor named for the decision Names the EU Council as the body that acted and gives the date and the new expiry date. ×1Adopted wording The company's own word 'minor' sits next to the report's flat statement that customers could not send or receive parcels. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
—
Centre
estimate · not a score
Espreso TV
🇺🇦UA ·
digital ·
Латвія єдина до останнього виступала проти виключення Усманова і Фрідмана зі санкцій ЄС, - прем’єр
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Espreso TV →
What we have measured
Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the shift to combat use. ×1Actor named Russia is named as the actor in the data-centre strike. Nobody is named behind the DDoS attack. ×1Actor named for the decision Names the EU Council as the body that acted and gives the date and the new expiry date. ×1Adopted wording The company's own word 'minor' sits next to the report's flat statement that customers could not send or receive parcels. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— Names the two men, gives the 2029 expiry, and carries Latvia's account: it opposed the removals, abstained, and plans national sanctions.
Про це повідомляє Delfi.Його заява стосувалася рішення Євросоюзу продовжити санкції проти Росії на 36 місяців, водночас виключивши Усманова та Фрідмана з відповідного переліку.За словами Кулбергса, питання продовження санкцій потрібно було врегулювати таким чином, щоб Латвія не опинилася наодинці зі своєю позицією. Він також наголосив на необхідності узгодженої позиції країн Балтії.Латвійський прем’єр зазначив, що Литва та Естонія погодилися на виключення Усманова і Фрідмана зі списку санкцій. Водночас Рига продовжувала виступати проти такого рішення.У підсумку Латвія погодилася не блокувати п
One government's framing: Carries the Latvian prime minister's account that both options were bad. It quotes no one who pushed for the delistings. — “перед Латвією стояв вибір між двома несприятливими сценаріями”
States named: Names Lithuania and Estonia as agreeing to the delistings. It does not name the state that demanded them. — “Литва та Естонія погодилися на виключення Усманова і Фрідмана зі списку санкцій”
Actor named for the decision: Names the EU Council as the body that acted and gives the date and the new expiry date. — “Рада Європейського Союзу 22 вересня подовжила персональні санкції проти Росії на три роки”
Whose voice: frames the decision through the Latvian PM's 'two bad scenarios' — “перед Латвією стояв вибір між двома несприятливими сценаріями”
Who is named as acting: names Latvia's abstention and Lithuania's and Estonia's consent — “але під час голосування утрималася”
Read it at Espreso TV →
https://espreso.tv/svit-latviya-edina-do-ostannogo-vistupala-proti-vikl…
D
De Telegraaf
Poetins chantagetactieken werken: zo ontlopen Russische oligarchen opnieuw EU-sancties
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at De Telegraaf →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and aged, and his not-guilty plea is carried ×1Accused's voice carries the not-guilty plea and names the accused ×1Actor named Authorities named as the ones who made the arrests ×1Asserted vs attributed 'blackmail' stated flat, with no source and no named state that applied it ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— independent
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
De Telegraaf
🇳🇱NL ·
newspaper · independent
Poetins chantagetactieken werken: zo ontlopen Russische oligarchen opnieuw EU-sancties
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at De Telegraaf →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and aged, and his not-guilty plea is carried ×1Accused's voice carries the not-guilty plea and names the accused ×1Actor named Authorities named as the ones who made the arrests ×1Asserted vs attributed 'blackmail' stated flat, with no source and no named state that applied it ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— independentCalls the removals the result of a successful blackmail campaign, in its own voice, and says the EU has delisted influential Russians before.
Het Kremlin kan de champagne ontkurken: twee Russische oligarchen zijn van de EU-sanctielijst gehaald na een geslaagde chantagecampagne. Een van hen zou een favoriet zijn van de Russische despoot Vladimir Poetin. Het is niet de eerste keer dat de EU invloedrijke Russen van de zwarte lijst haalt.
Judgement stated flat: Calls the delistings the result of a 'successful blackmail campaign', without attribution. — “na een geslaagde chantagecampagne”
Loaded label: The report's own words call the Russian president a despot. — “de Russische despoot Vladimir Poetin”
Editorial opening: Opens on an image of the Kremlin celebrating, not on the decision itself. — “Het Kremlin kan de champagne ontkurken”
Loaded framing: opens with the Kremlin celebrating — “Het Kremlin kan de champagne ontkurken”
Asserted vs attributed: 'blackmail' stated flat, with no source and no named state that applied it — “na een geslaagde chantagecampagne”
Label: an evaluative label on a head of state, in the report's own voice — “de Russische despoot Vladimir Poetin”
Hedge: the key claim about one oligarch is hedged — “Een van hen zou een favoriet zijn”
Read it at De Telegraaf →
https://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/poetins-chantagetactieken-werken-zo…
Checked, didn’t cover
International Court of Justice
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International Court of Justice
INT ·
official record · intergovernmental body
What we have measured
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International Criminal Court
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International Criminal Court
INT ·
official record · intergovernmental body
What we have measured
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UN News
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UN News
INT ·
official record · intergovernmental body
What we have measured
Actors named Names both vetoing states and the sponsor, and says what the draft would have created ×1Asserted versus attributed share of women and children among the dead given with no source ×1Asserted vs attributed Israel named as acting, stated in the report's own voice ×1Asymmetric verb The Iranian government's crimes are 'confirmed'. The US finding is only 'reasonable grounds'. The two findings are weighted differently in one sentence. ×1
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Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story
and carried nothing on this event.