At a moment when European unity against Russian aggression remains a stated cornerstone of Western policy, France has quietly endorsed Slovakia's proposal to lift EU sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov — a move that has unsettled diplomatic circles across the continent. Usmanov, sanctioned since 2014 and further restricted after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, represents not merely one man's legal status but a test of whether the bloc's collective resolve can hold under the weight of diverging national interests. The French endorsement, offered without public announcement or co