UNM’s Pavlenishvili: Sanctions must be implemented without creating impression of double standards

“I am interested in the arguments that I should examine, because the enforcement of sanctions is extremely important. Sanctions should be enforced in a way that does not leave a perception of double standards,” Irakli Pavlenishvili, Chair of the United National Movement’s interim governing council, said when asked about the European Union’s decision to remove Russian businessmen from its sanctions list.

According to Pavlenishvili, the decision is highly suspicious.

“When we talk about specific oligarchs, their removal from sanctions should, of course, be supported by highly convincing grounds, because we know that being an oligarch while not being an agent of Putin is difficult to imagine. Those who were not direct agents of Putin were either removed from the system, killed or driven into exile. Therefore, it is indeed very suspicious when people may be released from sanctions.

That is why I am interested in the specific arguments that I should examine, because I believe that the enforcement of sanctions is extremely important. Sanctions should be enforced in a way that does not leave a perception of double standards. This decision is suspicious because I cannot understand how someone can be an oligarch and not be an agent of Putin,” Pavlenishvili said.

The European Union has removed Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list against Russia.