Global leaders are gathering in New York this week for the 81st UN general assembly and given the state of the world, it’s likely to be a lively one.
asserted
it → gather → world
We are expecting to hear today from the US president, Donald Trump, Finland’s president Alexander Stubb, and France’s Emmanuel Macron (in his last UNGA appearance), among others.
asserted
We → expect → others
Macron got to New York early and already held talks with Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy last night, possibly trying to mediate ahead of the pair’s closely watched meeting later today.
uncertain
Macron → get → meeting
Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to sit down together in the late afternoon or early evening.
asserted
Trump → expect → afternoon
Outside the main UNGA room, it will also be worth keeping an eye on Trump’s meeting with Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Jens-Frederik Nielsen as they meet to sign the new Greenland deal on Arctic security.
asserted
they → keep → security
Expect potentially diverging interpretations of what the deal actually involves…
Separately, I will also keep an eye on events back in Europe as EU ambassadors meet in Brussels to discuss the latest Russia sanctions list with some controversial attempts to amend it and take some fairly well-known names out of it.
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ambassadors → expect → it
Lots for us to cover today.
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us → cover → ?
It’s Tuesday, 22 September 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
asserted
this → ’ → ?
EU deadlocked over plans to remove two Russian billionaires from sanctions list
Jennifer Rankin
in Brussels
The EU is deadlocked over a plan to remove two Russian billionaires, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from its sanctions list as part of a bitterly disputed deal to keep broader restrictions in placeon nearly 3,000 people and companies accused of enabling Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.
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EU → deadlocke → Ukraine
Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states failed to reach agreement at a meeting early on Tuesday – their third session in around 24 hours on the topic.
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Ambassadors → fail → topic
The senior diplomats will reconvene later today just hours ahead of a legal deadline.
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diplomats → reconvene → deadline
Without an agreement sanctions on nearly 3,000 people and entities accused of supporting the war on Ukraine will lapse at the end of Tuesday 22 September.
asserted
sanctions → accuse → Tuesday
The list includes Vladimir Putin, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, Duma deputies, Russia’s major banks, energy companies and military industrial complex.
asserted
list → include → Putin
The EU can also agree a short-term extension pending a longer agreement and has already prolonged the deadline by one week.
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EU → agree → week
One diplomat suggested that was a likely outcome.
uncertain
that → suggest → ?
Latvia emerged as the last-minute block on an agreement.
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Latvia → emerge → agreement
Like many member states the Baltic state has strong objections to the de-listings, which are demanded by France and Slovakia.
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which → have → France
Latvia’s prime minister Andris Kulbergs tweeted late Monday night that he could not accept the proposed compromise – the de-listings of Usmanov and Fridman in exchange for a 36-month extension of the blacklist of nearly 3,000 names, far longer than the usual six-month rollover.
uncertain
he → tweet → rollover
He said:
“Extending sanctions for 36 months would be the right step.
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Extending → say → months
However, the price for it must not be simply striking both individuals from the sanctions list.
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price → strike → list
Latvia cannot accept SUCH an offer.”
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Latvia → accept → offer
He added that his foreign minister, Baiba Braže, would work with “Brussels and Paris to find a solution SUITABLE for Latvia’s interests.
asserted
minister → add → interests
We will seek support in the EUROPEAN UNION for Latvia’s position”.
asserted
We → seek → position
When details of the expected deal emerged on Monday, Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said the delisting was “unacceptable and would send the wrong signal to Moscow at a time when pressure needs to increase”.
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pressure → expect → time
France infuriated and stunned EU member states by joining Slovakia’s populist government in petitioning for Usmanov’s de-listing earlier this month.
asserted
France → infuriate → listing
France has told EU diplomats only that the delisting is on national security grounds.
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delisting → tell → grounds
The Financial Times has reported that it is linked to a prisoner exchange deal with Azerbaijan involving the release of French nationals.
asserted
it → report → nationals
Azerbaijan, along with the Organisation of Turkic States, has previously lobbied western decision-makers to remove Usmanov from sanctions listings, describing him as “a renowned philanthropist” who has built bridges between the West, Central Asia and wider Turkic world.
asserted
who → lobby → West
Slovakia began lobbying for Usmanov and fellow billionaire Mikhail Fridman to be removed from the EU sanctions list in the summer.
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Usmanov → begin → summer
Luxembourg has argued that Fridman should come off the list, if Usmanov is removed.
asserted
Usmanov → argue → list
Fridman is seeking $16bn in damages from Luxembourg for freezing his assets.
asserted
Fridman → seek → assets
Global leaders are gathering in New York this week for the 81st UN general assembly and given the state of the world, it’s likely to be a lively one.
asserted
it → gather → world
We are expecting to hear today from the US president, Donald Trump, Finland’s president Alexander Stubb, and France’s Emmanuel Macron (in his last UNGA appearance), among others.
asserted
We → expect → others
Macron got to New York early and already held talks with Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy last night, possibly trying to mediate ahead of the pair’s closely watched meeting later today.
uncertain
Macron → get → meeting
Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to sit down together in the late afternoon or early evening.
asserted
Trump → expect → afternoon
Outside the main UNGA room, it will also be worth keeping an eye on Trump’s meeting with Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Jens-Frederik Nielsen as they meet to sign the new Greenland deal on Arctic security.
asserted
they → keep → security
Expect potentially diverging interpretations of what the deal actually involves…
Separately, I will also keep an eye on events back in Europe as EU ambassadors meet in Brussels to discuss the latest Russia sanctions list with some controversial attempts to amend it and take some fairly well-known names out of it.
asserted
ambassadors → expect → it
It’s Tuesday, 22 September 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
asserted
this → ’ → ?
The Aporia
