France and Slovakia's threat to scupper 3,000 EU sanctions to protect two Russian oligarchs gathers steam

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Resistance to a French-Slovak proposal to drop EU sanctions against two Russian oligarchs began to crumble in a meeting of EU ambassadors on the morning of Sept. 21, with an afternoon meeting set to finalize the agreement.

If EU countries fail to vote unanimously to renew the bloc's 3,000 sanctions in relation to Russia's war on Ukraine for another 12 months, all of them will lapse.

The technical vote is being held hostage by France and Slovakia, who want to delist the oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.

Slovakia has held the position for some time, repeatedly demanding that the oligarchs be delisted, but France's decision to support the move came as a surprise to some.

Paris has joined the demand because it is allegedly being requested by Azerbaijan, which France told EU countries is holding two of its nationals as political prisoners.

"Two countries are insisting on delistings due to national security concerns, and are ready to block the rollovers," one national diplomat told the Kyiv Independent.

The deadlock has led to multiple tense discussions among EU ambassadors, who were cut off from their phones, and a week-long delay in the decision before the Sept. 22 deadline.

To avoid letting all 3,000 sanctions listings lapse, several EU diplomats confirmed, on condition of anonymity, that some countries are beginning to cave in to the French-Slovak demand.

But while a European Council Presidency spokesperson told journalists that ambassadors will reconvene in the afternoon "with the aim of finalizing agreement," that does not mean a new consensus has been achieved.

"We're not there yet... it is, of course, very difficult," the national diplomat said.

A second national diplomat said, "We will be asking for things in return if it goes that way."

Ukraine's sanctions envoy Vladyslav Vlasiuk voiced frustration on social media over the latest EU ambassadors' meeting, asking, "How can anyone seriously discuss sanctions delisting while Russia's war continues?"

"Delisting without a fundamental change in conduct sends exactly the wrong signal: pressure is temporary, accountability is negotiable, and sanctions can simply be waited out," Vlasiuk said.

The two sanctioned individuals, Fridman and Usmanov, are both considered members of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's inner circle.

Fridman is a co-founder of the Russian conglomerate Alfa-Group, whose subsidiary provided insurance for vehicles used by Russian forces in Ukraine, and reportedly serviced the Main Office of Special Programs, which is responsible for guarding Putin.

Usmanov made his fortune in metal and mining operations following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He was referred to as "one of Putin's favorite oligarchs" in the EU's original 2022 sanctions decision.

An EU diplomat told the Kyiv Independent that "in theory," the deadline could be postponed again, but that they were "not sure an extra week would lead to a change in positions."

Doing so would be entering uncharted waters. The diplomat said it is not even clear whether there are technical or legal reasons that would prevent repeatedly prolonging a sanctions rollover for short periods.

EU ambassadors in Brussels are expected to meet again at 2 p.m. local time, "with the aim of finalizing agreement," an EU Council Presidency spokesperson told journalists.