Canada has lifted sanctions against Chubais

This is stated in an official announcement published on the Canadian government’s website on 26 August. The decision, as stated in the document, was taken on 13 August. Chubais remains on the sanctions list, but the restrictions no longer apply to him: item No. 1509, under which the former head of ‘Rosnano’ was listed, has been removed. The sanctions imposed on Chubais involved an asset freeze and a ban on entry into Canada.

The reasoning behind the decision states that the Minister of Internal Affairs received a request from Chubais to be removed from the list and deemed the grounds set out therein sufficiently compelling to grant the request. However, Chubais’s specific arguments are not disclosed in the document. The authorities merely noted that, for the sanctions regime to be effective, it is important that it be applied fairly.

Chubais left russia shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, stepping down from his post as the russian President’s Special Representative for Relations with International Organisations. Following this, Vladimir Putin referred to him as ‘some Moshe Izrailevich’ and claimed there was a ‘huge financial hole’ in ‘Rosnano’, which Chubais had headed for many years. Shortly afterwards, the former top executive’s bank accounts and assets were frozen in russia.

According to Chubais’s claim filed with the Federal Court of Canada, he challenged the sanctions, asserting that he had ‘historically’ been in opposition to Putin, had spoken out against the war in Ukraine and had been ‘in exile’ since 2022. The restrictions were imposed in June 2025 after the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) included him on the so-called ‘List of 50’ – a list of individuals from Putin’s inner circle compiled following the death of Alexei Navalny. Chubais emphasised that the sanctions are causing him serious harm, as his russian assets have been frozen and he can rely only on his foreign income, which is also under threat. In his lawsuit, the former head of ‘Rosnano’ also pointed to the significant reputational damage caused by being included on the list, which places him on a par with those whose actions, he claims, he opposed.

Source: The Moscow Times