The French government has aligned with Slovakia in seeking to remove Russian-Uzbek businessman Alisher Usmanov from the EU's sanctions list, a shift that has provoked considerable irritation among other member states, according to four EU diplomats.
Slovakia has long campaigned for Usmanov and fellow oligarch Mikhail Fridman to be taken off the bloc's restrictive measures, which target individuals linked to Vladimir Putin's regime and the military-industrial complex supporting the war in Ukraine. Now Paris has added its voice to the call for Usmanov's delisting, marking a notable change in the diplomatic landscape.
Usmanov, who made his fortune in metals, mining, telecommunications, and technology, has been under EU sanctions since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He is considered close to the Kremlin, and his assets in the EU have been frozen as part of the bloc's response to Moscow's aggression.
Frustration among member states
The French move has caused what one diplomat described as “huge frustration” among other EU countries, particularly given the backdrop of escalating hybrid threats across Europe, including a recent attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport in Germany. The incident underscores the security challenges the bloc faces, as highlighted in NATO's deterrence eroding amid such threats.
“It raised a lot of questions about the motivation — seems mostly economic reasons at play here. Not a lot of understanding on the side of other member states,” an EU diplomat told Euronews, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the talks.
The EU's sanctions regime currently targets more than 3,000 individuals and entities linked to Russia's military-industrial complex and its contribution to the invasion of Ukraine. The regime is due for renewal on 15 September, with member states under pressure to reach an agreement by then. Individual listings have so far been renewed every six months, but a 12-month renewal is now on the table. Sectoral sanctions already shifted to a 12-month cycle in July.
In several meetings of EU ambassadors, Slovakia has opposed the renewal, pushing for both oligarchs to be delisted and the six-month timeframe to remain in place. The Slovak demands are not new; Bratislava has repeatedly called for the delisting of the two high-profile Russian oligarchs, including when the sanctions were last extended in March.
EU sanctions require unanimous approval for renewal, meaning a single country can veto an extension. Slovakia's opposition has already caused frustration among member states, but France's new position is likely to complicate the talks further. Paris presented Usmanov's delisting as a political compromise, betting that Slovakia would not abandon its two delisting demands as it did last time.
The development comes as the EU grapples with broader questions about its sanctions policy, including the potential use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, a topic that has seen Brussels cooling talk of tapping those assets. Meanwhile, Baltic states have been vocal about the need for vigilance against Russian hybrid threats, as underscored at the Riga Conference.
EU ambassadors are due to meet again on Monday to discuss the renewal and will be under pressure to reach a political agreement before the 15 September deadline. The outcome remains uncertain, with France's unexpected stance adding a new layer of complexity to an already delicate negotiation.
