Lawyers for Usmanov described the payment as a strategic move to save time and resources, stressing that the settlement is not an admission of guilt and preserving the presumption of innocence.

The settlement is considered a form of Geldauflage, not a traditional sentence, and after payment the case cannot be reopened under the same charges.

The closure of the case is provisional pending receipt of the payment and becomes final once funds are received, as reported by the paper that first broke the story.

Most of the funds are allocated to Bavaria’s treasury, with a portion designated to a state prisoner welfare association.

Usmanov’s legal team framed the payment as a pragmatic decision to conserve time and resources amid ongoing investigations.

Separate political coverage notes Trump’s critical but conciliatory stance toward Putin amid ongoing Ukraine discussions, illustrating how Western leaders discuss Russia in parallel with sanctions and diplomacy.

The closure reflects the case’s unusual factors and unresolved legal questions, with consent from Munich II and the defendant, citing formal violations as a key reason.

German authorities indicated the proceedings were halted with the defendant’s agreement due to peculiarities of the case and certain procedural violations, signaling a negotiated end rather than a typical verdict.

Russia’s foreign minister linked Western sanctions to negotiations over Ukraine, advocating a neutral status for Ukraine amid broader discussions.

The settlement amount was disclosed as €10 million, with €8.5 million to the Staatskasse and €1.5 million directed to Opferhilfe Bayern and related prisoner welfare efforts.

Germany’s Munich II public prosecutor’s office confirmed that a monetary settlement ends the case, with Usmanov paying a total of €10 million to the state and to a foundation aiding victims, in exchange for the proceedings being discontinued.

Usmanov, a close ally of President Putin and subject to EU sanctions since early 2022 over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is at the center of an international probe into potential sanctions breaches and money laundering. Police raids targeted properties in Germany, including Tegernsee, during the investigations.