France backs Slovakia's push to remove Russian oligarch Usmanov from EU sanctions list
France is pushing to remove Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov from the EU personal sanctions list, aligning with a longstanding Slovak demand. The move has caused dissatisfaction among other EU members and comes as ambassadors failed to agree on extending the sanctions regime before a September 15 deadline.
Key points
- EU personal sanctions linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine are due to expire on September 15 and require unanimous agreement among member states to extend.
- At a Friday meeting, EU ambassadors failed to agree on extending the sanctions.
- Slovakia blocked the extension and is demanding the removal of Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list, as well as keeping the current six-month extension cycle instead of moving to 12 months.
- France is now also pushing for Usmanov's removal; Slovakia has long insisted on the same.
- Paris frames the move as a political compromise to secure Slovakia's agreement on extending sanctions, while one European diplomat cited possible economic interests as a motivation.
- France's position reportedly caused significant dissatisfaction among other EU member states.
- EU ambassadors are scheduled to discuss the issue again on Monday, a day before the September 15 deadline.
Why it matters
The EU personal sanctions regime against individuals and organizations linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine expires on September 15 and can only be extended with unanimous consent. With France now aligning with Slovakia's demand to remove Usmanov — and Slovakia also opposing a proposed shift to a 12-month extension cycle — the dispute threatens to derail renewal of the entire sanctions package, not just the listing of one individual.
What happened
EU ambassadors met on Friday and failed to agree on extending the bloc's personal sanctions against Russians linked to the invasion of Ukraine. Slovakia blocked the extension, insisting on removing two Russian businessmen — Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman — from the list and on keeping the six-month renewal cycle rather than transitioning to 12 months. France, according to Euronews citing four EU diplomats, has now joined Slovakia's push specifically regarding Usmanov, even though France had previously insisted only on his removal. A representative of France's Permanent Representation to the EU told Euronews that Paris supports extending the sanctions regime but declined to comment on individual names, citing the confidentiality of the discussions. A source in the French Foreign Ministry separately told Ukrinform that France has a "specific national security issue" and seeks to respond positively to international partners raising Usmanov's case, and added that France remains one of the most active supporters of pressure on Russia and backing for Ukraine. Paris frames the possible removal as a political compromise to secure Slovakia's agreement on extending sanctions. By contrast, one European diplomat quoted by Euronews said France's position raises questions about its motives, with economic interests cited among possible reasons, and other EU member states expressed significant dissatisfaction. Ambassadors are scheduled to discuss the issue again on Monday, one day before the September 15 expiry.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All three Ukrainian sources covering the story frame it as a threat to the renewal of the entire EU personal sanctions package. They center France's and Slovakia's efforts to remove Usmanov (and, in Slovakia's case, Fridman) from the list, highlight reported dissatisfaction among other EU member states, and surface both the European diplomat's suggestion that economic interests may be behind France's position and Paris's official rationale of a political compromise.
Where reporting differs
Sources disagree on what Monday, September 14 will bring: some report that ambassadors will decide the fate of the sanctions that day, while others report only that they are scheduled to discuss the issue ahead of the September 15 deadline. Sources also differ on France's stated reason for seeking Usmanov's removal — Paris points to a "specific national security issue" and frames the move as a political compromise to win Slovakia's agreement on extending sanctions, while one European diplomat quoted by Euronews suggested possible economic interests as a motivation.
Background
EU personal sanctions against individuals and organizations linked to the Russian regime have historically been extended every six months and require unanimous agreement of all 27 member states. Slovakia previously pushed to remove Usmanov and Fridman during the March 14 extension but ultimately compromised and agreed to renewal. A proposal to move to a 12-month extension cycle is now being discussed; Slovakia opposes the change. Usmanov has been under EU sanctions since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The EU describes him as a person close to Russian authorities, with his fortune built on investments in metallurgy, mining, telecommunications and technology. He founded the USM investment group, which controls the iron ore company Metalloinvest, and his wealth is estimated at approximately $13 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His legal appeals against the EU sanctions themselves have been unsuccessful, though he has won cases in European courts against media linking him to Vladimir Putin.