The CJEU requires solid evidence of Putin's control over Russian companies in order to apply EU sanctions to them.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on Thursday that European Union member states must provide objective and sufficiently solid evidence to prove that Russian President Vladimir Putin exercises effective control over a company before imposing sanctions based on that connection. The decision establishes a higher evidentiary threshold for authorities seeking to justify restrictive measures against entities linked to the Russian leadership.

This legal clarification mandates that national authorities cannot rely on assumptions of influence. By requiring concrete proof of control, the ruling standardizes the criteria for applying sanctions across the bloc, ensuring that punitive measures are supported by verifiable facts rather than indirect associations.