EU ambassadors meet in Brussels to discuss Russian sanctions rollover as France and Luxembourg stall progress

EU ambassadors gathered in Brussels this week to hash out the renewal of sanctions against Russia, but what should be a routine rollover has turned into a diplomatic wrestling match. France and Luxembourg are holding up the process, each pushing to remove specific Russian oligarchs from the sanctions list, and the clock is running uncomfortably low. The sanctions package covers roughly 3,000 individuals and entities tied to Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. It includes asset freezes and travel bans, and it requires unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states every six months to stay in effect. The sticking points France and Slovakia want Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov removed from the list, citing what they describe as national security concerns related to Azerbaijan. Luxembourg, meanwhile, is pushing for the delisting of Mikhail Fridman, another Russian billionaire who is at the center of a legal dispute involving $16 billion in frozen assets. Several ambassadors have reportedly warned that yielding to these demands could erode the credibility of the entire sanctions framework. The original expiration date for the current sanctions package was September 15, 2026. When...