French-Slovak Veto Deepens EU Deadlock on Russia Sanctions Renewal
Ambassadors agreed to a one-week rollover after France and Slovakia blocked renewal unless Alisher Usmanov is removed from the blacklist.
- On Monday, European Union ambassadors in Brussels failed to renew Russia sanctions, leaving the regime governing roughly 3,000 asset freezes one day from expiry after France and Slovakia demanded removal of Russian-Uzbek businessman Alisher Usmanov.
- Slovakia has long pushed to strike Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list, a request other member states considered politically motivated, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan wrote to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on 2 March 2026 requesting support to end what Erdoan termed 'the unfair practice'.
- Diplomats remain baffled by France's sudden alignment with Slovakia, as French officials offered only vague 'national security' justifications without elaboration, while Usmanov was added to the blacklist over his 'close ties' with Russian President Vladimir Putin and stakes in 'key sectors' of Russia's economy.
- Faced with an expiration date, ambassadors extended sanctions for just one week until 22 September, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to rebuke the move, stating Usmanov and Fridman should 'take concrete steps against the war' rather than receive additional opportunities.
- Member states debate a 12-month rollover to align individual sanctions with economic measures extended in June, as Ireland's EU Council presidency emphasized renewal is essential to continue undermining Russia's war machine, with European restrictions having cost Russia more than $1.08 trillion.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Italy joins France, Croatia and Slovakia to demand the lifting of European sanctions against the Russian tycoon of Uzbek origins Alisher Usmanov. This is what the Moscow Times writes, citing the Financial Times, precisely in the hours when ambassadors are being discussed in Brussels, with a view to the end of tomorrow's midnight, of the extension [...] L'articolo L'Italia chiede la rifimento dei sanctioni EU v. Putin's Russian oligarch friend Al…
The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU Member States in Brussels met this morning at an extraordinary session regarding the extension of the individual sanctions of the European Union against Russia for violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but no agreement was reached - the next session will be held later today, the European Justice correspondent reported from Brussels, referring to three EU diplomats.
EU capitals have not been able to extend a package of sanctions against Russia for months, five European diplomats for Politics said. Three of them said that EU ambassadors will meet again today for further talks.
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