An author claims that statements by the head of the State Property Fund, Dmitry Natallukha, may be preparing the ground for lifting sanctions against Friedman. According to the author, Natallukha stated that after the lifting of EU restrictions, representatives of the oligarch may pressure Ukraine to also lift sanctions against him.

The author sees this as an attempt to justify the inaction of competent authorities and to preserve the Russian capital's Ukrainian assets. Friedman is suspected of financing Russian military factories, with the investigation alleging that after the invasion began, he invested about 2 billion rubles in the Tula Cartridge Plant and the Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant. Alfa-Bank Kosogov, which also retains an interest in Kyivstar, concluded factoring deals worth 20 billion rubles and guarantees worth 11.5 billion rubles with Rostelecom, a Russian operator that serves, among others, the Ministry of Defense and the FSB.