12:31 17 March 2025
Russian oligarch shareholder in Grupa Azoty removed from EU sanctions list
Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, a Russian oligarch and major shareholder of Grupa Azoty, was unexpectedly removed from the EU sanctions list. The Polish government responded by placing him on its own sanctions list to keep his assets frozen.
Kantor, who controls the Russian Acron Group, was sanctioned by the EU in April 2022 due to his ties to the Kremlin. The sanctions allowed Polish authorities to freeze his assets, preventing him from exercising shareholder rights in Grupa Azoty. The Polish government aimed to sell his stake and use the proceeds to support Ukraine, but this was blocked by the administrative court.
On March 13, 2024, the EU removed Kantor from its sanctions list, reportedly at Hungary’s request, unfreezing his assets at the EU level. In response, Poland’s Minister of Defense Tomasz Siemoniak immediately reimposed national sanctions, citing Kantor’s ongoing UK and Swiss sanctions and his indirect support for Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
Grupa Azoty confirmed that national sanctions remain in place. Similar actions were taken by Poland against Russian assets in strategic industries, such as Novatek Green Energy and EuRoPol Gaz, ensuring continued economic security.
(pb.pl)
