The European Union's individual sanctions against nearly 3,000 Russia-linked individuals are at risk of expiring as France and Slovakia push to delist oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman. While Slovakia's push is long-standing, France joined the effort due to national security concerns, amid claims that Azerbaijan is holding two French nationals hostage to blackmail Paris into securing Usmanov's delisting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly criticized the proposed delistings.
EU sanctions renewal dispute
- ▪Any decision to renew European Union sanctions requires the unanimous approval of all 27 member states, allowing individual countries to extract concessions.
- ▪The European Union's 2,960 individual sanctions against Russia-linked individuals are at risk of expiring if member states fail to reach a unanimous compromise by September 22, 2026.
- ▪European Union envoys extended the deadline for renewing Russia sanctions listings by seven days to September 22, 2026, after failing to agree on a six-monthly rollover of the sanctions
- ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the proposed lifting of sanctions on Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov, stating that Europe should not shield Russian oligarchs or give Russia gifts
France delisting pressure
- ▪European diplomats indicated that France believes Azerbaijan is using the detention of two French citizens to blackmail Paris into supporting Alisher Usmanov's delisting
- ▪France has urged the European Union to lift sanctions on Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov, joining Slovakia's push to delist him
- ▪French diplomatic sources stated that the decision by Paris to call for sanctions on Alisher Usmanov to be lifted was driven by national security considerations.
Slovakia oligarch delisting push
- ▪Slovakia and Hungary previously requested the delisting of Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov from the EU sanctions list in March 2026, but that attempt was unsuccessful
- ▪Slovakia launched a push to delist Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov from the European Union sanctions list.
Azerbaijan hostage blackmail claims
- ▪An Azerbaijani diplomat confirmed that Baku wants Alisher Usmanov delisted from the EU sanctions list but denied trying to influence French decision-making through pressure
- ▪Relations between France and Azerbaijan deteriorated in 2023 after Azerbaijan regained control of Nagorno-Karabakh, prompting French military support for Armenia.
- ▪European diplomats stated that Azerbaijan has made the delisting of Alisher Usmanov from the EU sanctions list a condition for releasing the two French nationals detained in Azerbaijan
- ▪Azerbaijan is holding two French nationals, having sentenced one on espionage charges, in what France has described as arbitrary detention.
Usmanov legal challenges
- ▪Alisher Usmanov, a Russian-Uzbek metals and mining businessman, was designated in the European Union's 2022 sanctions as one of Vladimir Putin's favorite oligarchs.
- ▪Alisher Usmanov has launched multiple lawsuits in Europe contesting media statements used as grounds for his European Union sanctions
Fridman sanctions litigation
- ▪Mikhail Fridman, co-founder of Alfa-Group, is a member of Vladimir Putin's inner circle whose subsidiary Alfa Insurance reportedly insured Russian military vehicles in Ukraine.
- ▪Mikhail Fridman has repeatedly disputed claims of having close ties to the Kremlin.
Debatable claims
- ▪The EU should delist Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov
- ▪The EU should seize frozen Russian central bank assets to fund Ukraine
- ▪The EU should delist Alisher Usmanov to free detained French citizens
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