EU countries are struggling to renew sanctions against Russia, with a critical deadline approaching. France, supported by Slovakia, is pushing for the removal of Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov from the sanctions list. This demand has created a major deadlock, with some reports suggesting France's motive is to secure the release of French citizens detained in Azerbaijan.
The situation worsened when Luxembourg, leveraging France's demand, insisted that if Usmanov is delisted, then Mikhail Fridman, another Russian oligarch, must also be removed. Luxembourg's push comes as Fridman is suing the country for $17 billion (15 billion euros) for freezing his assets under EU sanctions. This has been described as a "game of chicken" potentially undermining EU cohesion.
Hawkish EU countries, including Poland and the Baltic states, are fiercely opposing the easing of sanctions, arguing that pressure on Russia should be increased. Ukraine has also reacted with strong condemnation, stating that such moves would be "unacceptable" and send the wrong signal to Moscow. While a provisional deal was discussed to delist Usmanov and Fridman in exchange for a three-year extension of other sanctions (instead of the usual six months), it failed to gain final approval due to a last-minute objection from Latvia.
Despite the specific standoff, there is a general consensus among EU diplomats that the overall sanctions regime should not be allowed to lapse. However, the requirement for unanimity in renewing sanctions has highlighted the fragility of the system, with concerns that individual member states are using it to advance national interests, potentially eroding the credibility of the entire sanctions framework. Talks are set to resume to try and resolve the impasse ahead of the looming deadline.
