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

Key Points:

• EU ambassadors met on Sept. 21 to resolve a deadlock over renewing 3,000 sanctions linked to Russia's war on Ukraine, with France and Slovakia pushing to delist oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
• The sanctions renewal requires unanimous approval, and the French-Slovak proposal has delayed the decision, risking the expiration of all sanctions if no consensus is reached by Sept. 22.
• France's support for delisting the oligarchs is reportedly influenced by Azerbaijan, which is holding two French nationals as political prisoners, while Slovakia has long demanded their removal.
• Some EU countries are reportedly willing to accept a longer 36-month sanctions renewal in exchange for delisting the two oligarchs, but no final agreement has been reached as of the afternoon meeting.
• Ukrainian officials criticized the potential delisting, warning it would send the wrong signal amid ongoing conflict, while the sanctioned oligarchs are closely tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime.