A compromise on the EU's 19th sanctions package may involve the partial lifting of sanctions on assets linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska – because Austria wants compensation for its Raiffeisen bank, which had to pay a large fine in Russia. Source: Financial Times, citing its sources, as reported by European Pravda Details: The EU is reportedly considering lifting some sanctions on assets linked to Deripaska to compensate Raiffeisen Bank International. Advertisement: According to seven people familiar with the talks, the latest draft includes provisions to unfreeze assets worth about €2 billion in the Austrian construction company Strabag, where Deripaska owned a stake. These assets are to be transferred to Raiffeisen as compensation for the €2 billion fine the bank had to pay under a Russian court ruling in favour of a business linked to Deripaska. The sanctions were initially imposed because Deripaska's business was believed to have provided material support to Russia's military machine. Earlier, Raiffeisen and Deripaska attempted to arrange a complex asset swap to unfreeze the oligarch's 24% stake in Strabag, which he owned through the company Rasperia. However, the plan failed due to concerns that it would breach EU sanctions. Some European officials are concerned that such a step for Austria would legitimise attempts by Russian oligarchs to evade sanctions and support the practice of retaliating against sanctions through Russian courts. The new draft will be discussed on Friday 3 October, and ambassadors of several EU countries are expected to oppose it. Vladyslav Vlasliuk, the Ukrainian president's commissioner for sanctions policy, also wrote about this situation, apparently after the FT article was published. "Several states are categorically (and rightly) against such a rescue [of Deripaska's assets – ed.]. Therefore they will block the 19th package with such a provision. But this will be resolved, just another delay. The price of unanimity is high," he commented. Raiffeisen has maintained the largest presence in Russia among Western banks since 2022 and has been urged to leave Russia entirely, as many Western companies have done. However, Russia began resisting RBI's attempts to scale down operations, as informed sources say it remains one of the few ways to access the Swift payment system. A potential sale could result in Western sanctions against the bank and its owner and the closure of this option. In spring 2025 it was reported that Raiffeisen Bank International had halted attempts to sell its Russian unit amid warming relations between Washington and Moscow. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!