EU Sanctions Renewal Deadlocked as France Pushes to Delist Russian Oligarch Usmanov

Negotiations among senior European Union diplomats over maintaining sanctions against nearly 3,000 Russian individuals and entities remain deadlocked due to a dispute over the status of metals, mining, and telecoms tycoon Alisher Usmanov, The Guardian reported on September 21.

The EU agreed to a one-week extension of its sanctions regime to prevent it from expiring after France joined Slovakia in demanding Usmanov’s removal from the list, according to The Guardian.

Sanctioned in March 2022 as “a pro-Kremlin oligarch with particularly close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin,” the Uzbekistan-born billionaire sits at the center of a diplomatic standoff, The Guardian reported.

French representatives stunned EU partners by petitioning for Usmanov’s removal on national security grounds, with diplomats indicating the government aims to facilitate a prisoner release deal securing the freedom of French nationals detained in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and the Organisation of Turkic States have previously lobbied Western officials for Usmanov’s release, describing him as a philanthropist, while Slovakia’s populist administration began pushing for his delisting alongside fellow billionaire Mikhail Fridman earlier this summer, The Guardian wrote.

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EU ambassadors failed to reach a compromise during early morning meetings on September 21 and scheduled follow-up discussions for 14:00 CET, The Guardian reported. With sanctions scheduled to expire on September 22, the delay has drawn frustration from a majority of EU member states, who cite escalating Russian hybrid attacks across Europe, according to The Guardian.

The United States had also recently agreed to lift sanctions on two major Belarusian state-owned enterprises—paint manufacturer OJSC Lakokraska and timber conglomerate Bellesbumprom—in exchange for Minsk releasing 25 prisoners.

Negotiated by US Special Envoy John Coale, the interim agreement came as Belarusian authorities continued internal repression, with nearly 1,000 political prisoners remaining behind bars and over 400 individuals convicted since 2022 for supporting Ukraine.

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