The European Union will not extend sanctions against three men on the list of persons sanctioned due to Russia's war against Ukraine.

As Reuters reports, with reference to two diplomatic sources, the current restrictive measures are set to expire this week. The Russians against whom sanctions may not be extended are Grigory Berezkin, a businessman close to Putin, billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov, and Alexander Shulgin, the former head of Ozon, a Russian e-commerce company.

The EU renews its sanctions every six months, with the current batch expiring on 15 September.  To renew sanctions, all 27 EU member states need to unanimously agree to do so.

Last week, the EU court dismissed the complaint filed by Russian oligarch Dmitry Pumpyansky and his wife Galina Pumpyanskaya against the EU sanctions applied to them. In addition, several other Russians were denied the lifting of sanctions.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called illogical and unacceptable the idea of any sanctions concessions to Russia in exchange for its return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, as this would be an invitation for Moscow to use it for blackmail again.