Abramovich Loses Again: EU Courts Won't Budge

Roman Abramovich's third attempt to lift European Union sanctions against him collapsed in a Luxembourg courtroom on Wednesday, as the EU's top court rejected his appeal in full, per RFI.

The ruling is not a procedural setback — it is a statement. Abramovich, who built one of the most visible fortunes to emerge from post-Soviet Russia, has now exhausted three separate legal challenges before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Each time, the court has held the same position: that his proximity to Vladimir Putin and the material support he provided to the Russian state justify the asset freezes and travel bans imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

What makes the ruling significant beyond the man himself is the precedent it reinforces. European courts have now consistently ruled that oligarchic wealth tied to the Kremlin's political structure is not protected by the standard due process arguments that have worked in other jurisdictions. The sanctions architecture, built under pressure and often criticised as legally fragile, is holding.

Abramovich's legal team has not yet indicated whether further avenues remain. The practical effect of the ruling leaves his European assets — including properties across the continent — frozen indefinitely.

For the broader network of sanctioned Russian nationals who have pursued similar litigation in European courts, the message from Luxembourg is unambiguous: the door has been tested three times. It has not moved.

*Sources: RFI, Court of Justice of the European Union*