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
France backs Usmanov sanctions removal, triggering EU diplomatic friction
France signals it may be tilting toward economic reopening with Russia
Mark
Why would France back removing sanctions on a Russian oligarch right now, with the war still active?
Mimi
The diplomats didn't explain France's reasoning publicly, but it suggests Paris may be thinking ahead to eventual negotiations or economic reopening with Russia.
Luke
Right—we don't actually know France's stated justification. The story is that they backed it; the why is still opaque.
Mark
What does this do to EU unity on sanctions?
Mimi
It signals that the unified front might be cracking. If France moves, others might follow, and the whole sanctions architecture becomes negotiable.
Luke
But it's one proposal at this stage. It hasn't passed. We should be careful not to declare the sanctions regime broken when it's still intact.
Mark
Who is Usmanov, and why does he matter?
Mimi
He's a major Russian billionaire—steel, mining, media, tech. He's been sanctioned since 2014, and the restrictions were tightened in 2022. He's a symbol of how the EU targets Russian wealth.
Luke
He's significant, but the story is really about what his sanctions say about EU cohesion, not about Usmanov himself.
Mark
How did other EU members react?
Mimi
Unnamed diplomats expressed significant frustration. They see it as France breaking ranks without warning.
Luke
We only have the reaction of unnamed sources. We don't have official statements from other governments yet, which would be stronger.
Mark
What happens next?
Mimi
The proposal would need to move through EU decision-making. It could face real resistance from member states that want to keep pressure on Russia.
Luke
Exactly. This is a proposal, not a done deal. The actual outcome is still uncertain.
Il Polso
- France has backed Slovakia's push to remove Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov from EU sanctions — without warning or coordination with other member states.
- European diplomats described the reaction across EU capitals as one of 'huge frustration,' with officials fearing the move signals a crack in the bloc's unified front against Moscow.
- The stakes extend far beyond one businessman: if France breaks ranks, smaller or more Russia-sympathetic states may feel emboldened to challenge other sanctions measures.
- The proposal has not yet triggered a formal vote, but France's endorsement gives it a political weight that cannot be easily dismissed or contained.
- The move lands at a particularly fraught moment — EU weapons and aid continue flowing to Ukraine even as one of Europe's largest powers quietly explores easing pressure on a key Russian economic figure.
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 coordination with partners, raises a question that echoes through every alliance in history: when one pillar shifts, how long before the arch begins to tremble?
Slovakia proposed lifting EU sanctions on Alisher Usmanov, the Russian billionaire who built his fortune in steel and mining before expanding into media and technology. France has now backed the idea — and the endorsement, confirmed by unnamed European diplomats to Euronews, has sent a quiet shockwave through Brussels.
Usmanov has been under EU sanctions since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, with his European assets frozen and his business dealings with EU entities barred. Those restrictions were deepened significantly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as the bloc sought to isolate figures central to the Russian economy.
What has alarmed fellow member states is not just the substance of the proposal but the manner of France's support — offered without public announcement and without advance notice to partners. Several EU capitals were caught off guard, and the reaction among diplomats was sharp. The concern is structural: if France, one of the EU's largest economies and a permanent UN Security Council member, is willing to break from the sanctions consensus, others may follow, threatening the coordinated approach that has held — with some strain — since 2022.
The timing sharpens the contradiction. European weapons and financial aid continue to flow to Ukraine while an active conflict rages on the continent's eastern edge. Against that backdrop, a major EU power moving to ease restrictions on a Russian oligarch reads to many officials as a weakening of resolve at precisely the wrong moment.
No formal vote has been called, and the proposal faces likely resistance as it moves through EU decision-making structures. But France's backing ensures it cannot be treated as a fringe position. The episode lays bare a deeper fault line within the bloc — between those committed to maximum pressure on Moscow and those who believe the time has come to begin exploring normalization, at least in the economic sphere.
Slovakia proposed lifting European Union sanctions against Alisher Usmanov, the Russian billionaire businessman, and France has now backed the idea. The move, confirmed to Euronews by unnamed European diplomats, has created immediate tension within the bloc at a moment when member states are supposed to maintain unified pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Usmanov, who made his fortune in steel and mining before diversifying into media and technology investments, has been under EU sanctions since 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea. His assets within European territory have been frozen, and he has been barred from doing business with EU entities. The sanctions were reinforced and expanded in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as Brussels sought to isolate key figures in the Russian economy.
France's endorsement of the removal proposal marks a significant shift in the French position and signals fractures in what Brussels has long presented as a unified European response to Russian aggression. The French government's backing came without public announcement or advance warning to other member states, according to the diplomats who spoke to Euronews. The move caught several EU capitals off guard and prompted sharp reactions from officials who view sanctions as a core tool for maintaining pressure on Moscow.
Diplomatic sources described the frustration among EU member states as substantial. The concern is not merely about one businessman's sanctions status but about what the French move might signal to other countries within the bloc. If France—one of the EU's largest economies and a permanent member of the UN Security Council—is willing to break ranks on Russia sanctions, other nations might follow, potentially unraveling the coordinated approach that has held, with some strain, since 2022.
The timing adds another layer of complexity. Europe remains engaged in an active conflict on its eastern border, with Ukrainian forces and Russian forces locked in combat. Weapons shipments, financial aid, and diplomatic support from EU members continue to flow to Kyiv. Against that backdrop, a major EU power moving to ease restrictions on a Russian oligarch reads to many European officials as a contradiction in purpose and a weakening of resolve.
Slovakia's initial proposal and France's support for it have not yet triggered a formal vote or official EU action. The proposal would need to move through the EU's decision-making structures, where it could face resistance from member states that view sanctions relief as premature or strategically unwise. However, the fact that France has already signaled its backing means the proposal cannot be dismissed as a fringe position—it now carries the weight of one of Europe's most influential governments.
The dispute underscores a broader tension within the EU between those who see continued maximum pressure on Russia as essential and those who believe engagement and negotiation should begin to replace isolation. France has historically positioned itself as a bridge between hardline and dovish positions on Russia policy, but this move suggests the French government may be tilting more decisively toward exploring pathways to normalization, at least in the economic sphere.
Citazioni salienti
European diplomats expressed 'huge frustration' at France's backing of the sanctions removal proposal— Unnamed EU diplomats to Euronews
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