Russia’s ‘unfriendly countries’ list now targets property, child custody and debts

Russia's designation of "unfriendly countries" has expanded beyond foreign economic policy into domestic courts, family law, property rights and financial obligations, with a string of decrees and rulings extending its reach to individuals.The list of states Moscow considers unfriendly was formalised as a form of retaliation in a government order in March 2022, weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.It covers the US, the UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, Australia, New Zealand and EU member states, all of which have pushed back against Russia's war of aggression.This autumn, the Russian government nearly doubled import duties on spirits from unfriendly countries, raising the rate from 20% to 35%, primarily affecting European and North American producers.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the placement of foreign companies' Russian assets under temporary administration was directly linked to those companies' home countries being on the list.The measure has affected the Russian operations of Nestlé, Auchan, FM Logistic, Leroy Merlin, Metro Cash & Carry, Tarkett, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and others.Russia's Supreme Court cited the unfriendly countries designation in a child custody dispute, ruling that returning a child to France could run counter to her interests in part because France appears on the list.In March 2025, Russian citizen Alexei Ermakov took his daughter on a two-week holiday to Turkey and Slovakia with the…