France's sanctions demand tests European unity on Russia

France's request to remove businessman Alisher Usmanov from the European Union's Russia sanctions list has become part of a wider negotiation over preserving restrictions on almost 3,000 other people and organisations. Reuters reported that EU envoys were due to continue talks on 22 September, after at least one government had not approved the proposed compromise the previous evening.

Under the reported proposal, sanctions on Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman would be lifted while the much larger list would be renewed for 36 months. Luxembourg sought Fridman's removal after France pressed the Usmanov case. The longer renewal would be a concession to governments worried that two delistings could weaken the signal sent by the wider regime.

A contested French rationale

France's foreign ministry has described its position on Usmanov as a national-security matter and a response to a request from partners. Reuters cited diplomats who linked the move to French nationals detained in Azerbaijan, while a senior Azerbaijani diplomat rejected that account. Because the explanation is contested and the negotiations are closed, it should be reported as diplomats' account rather than an established exchange.

The legal status of the two men also matters. The EU sanctioned both in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They have disputed the listings and pursued legal challenges. Delisting would not prove that the original decisions were unlawful, just as continued listing would not decide the separate court and arbitration claims.

Ukraine and several Baltic governments oppose easing the measures. The Guardian reported on 22 September that the previous day's talks had not produced a final deal and that EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed the need for stability and continued sanctions. Euronews had earlier documented how Luxembourg's Fridman demand complicated an existing dispute around France's position.

Why one listing can affect thousands

The structure of EU decision-making gives each government leverage because renewal requires unanimity. That can turn an individual listing into a bargaining point affecting the whole package. It also creates a policy dilemma: opponents of a delisting may still accept it if they conclude that the alternative is allowing far broader restrictions to expire.

As of this edition's publication, the safest conclusion is that negotiations are continuing and the reported compromise is not final. The important next evidence will be a formal EU decision and its legal text. Until that appears, claims that France has already secured Usmanov's removal, or that the wider sanctions have already been renewed for three years, would run ahead of the verified record.

Written for WHIF from the linked material. This article does not claim on-the-ground reporting. Our editorial standards.