At least seven individuals, later sanctioned by the EU, U.S., or Kyiv over links to Russia's aggression in Ukraine, hold a Maltese passport obtained via the country’s "golden visa" scheme, the Financial Times (FT) reported on April 27, citing government data and leaked documents.
These include Russian businessman Albert Avdolyan, sanctioned by the EU in February, who acquired Maltese citizenship in 2015 under the scheme, allowing him to partially bypass the bloc’s travel bans, according to the FT. His wife and four children also received Maltese passports.
According to his sanctions listing note, Avdolyan is "closely associated" with Russia’s major state weapons corporation Rostec.
Malta remains the only EU country still selling citizenship, despite legal action from Brussels. The European Commission has argued the practice "undermines both the essence and the integrity of EU citizenship" and has taken Malta to the European Court of Justice, with a ruling expected on April 29.
Applicants for Malta’s program must invest at least 600,000 euros ($680,000), rent or buy property, donate to charity, and reside in the country for up to a year.
Documents leaked to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project showed Avdolyan and his family fulfilled residency requirements largely through hotel stays arranged by Henley & Partners, the company that helped design Malta’s citizenship program.
The European Commission, reiterating its criticism, said on April 25, "EU values are not for sale." Transparency International and other campaigners have warned that a European court ruling in Malta’s favor could promote a "race to the bottom" in citizenship standards across Europe.
The FT reported that in total, 16 people, including politically exposed individuals and those later convicted of crimes, obtained Maltese citizenship through the scheme.
Among them are Evgeniya Vladimirovna Bernova, accused by the U.S. of illegally exporting dual-use equipment to Russian government users, and Pavel Melnikov, a Russian millionaire convicted of tax fraud in Finland. Malta has since revoked at least one passport.
The Maltese government did not respond to a request for comment from the Financial Times.
In February, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new "gold card" program, offering a $5 million pathway to U.S. residency and citizenship for wealthy individuals. When asked whether Russian oligarchs would be eligible to apply, Trump said they likely could.
"Yeah, possibly. Hey, I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people," Trump told reporters. Although he noted that many oligarchs are "not quite as wealthy as they used to be," he said he believed they could afford the fee.
Martin Fornusek
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