Paris Secrets
France has supported Slovakia in its demand to remove Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov from the EU sanctions list, European media report.
According to reports, Slovakia has long been seeking the removal of Usmanov and another Russian businessman, Mikhail Fridman, from the EU sanctions list. Now Paris has joined Bratislava. As media write, this move by France has caused "intense irritation" among other member states.
"This has raised many questions about the motives — it seems that economic considerations are playing a primary role here. There is little understanding of this position among other member states," said one European diplomat on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.
It is noted that the extension of EU sanctions requires unanimous approval, meaning any country can veto an extension decision. Slovakia's position had already caused dissatisfaction among member states, but France's new stance will likely complicate the negotiations even further. Paris presented the exclusion of Usmanov as a political compromise, expecting that Slovakia would not back down from its two exclusion demands this time, as happened last time.
EU ambassadors will meet again on Monday to discuss the extension of sanctions and will be forced to seek a political agreement before the September 15 deadline. A spokesperson for the Permanent Representation of France to the EU stated that Paris supports the extension of sanctions but declined to comment on the course of the discussions, citing their confidentiality.
As a reminder, the EU sanctions regime currently covers more than 3,000 Russian individuals and entities. It is due to be extended on September 15. Until now, individual lists have been extended every six months, but an extension for a period of 12 months is currently being discussed. Sectoral sanctions were already shifted in July from a six-month to a one-year extension cycle.