Four European diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Euronews that Paris supports dropping Usmanov from the EU's sanctions list. Slovakia has long demanded the same, along with the removal of sanctions on another Russian billionaire, Mikhail Fridman.
According to Euronews's sources, France's stance caused "huge disappointment" among other EU countries and is likely to complicate talks on extending the sanctions. "It raised a lot of questions about the motives — it looks like economic considerations are playing the main role here. There is little understanding of this position among other member states," one of the diplomats said.
A representative of France's permanent representation to the EU said Paris supports extending the sanctions but declined to comment on the negotiations, citing their confidentiality.
Usmanov has been under EU sanctions since 2022, after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions regime now covers more than 3,000 individuals and entities tied to Russia's military-industrial complex and the invasion of Ukraine. In 2026, Usmanov ranks 10th on Forbes's list of Russia's richest people, with a fortune of $14.5 billion.
The individual sanctions expire on September 15. They have so far been extended every six months; a one-year extension is now under discussion, after the same term was set for sectoral sanctions in July. An extension requires a unanimous decision by all EU countries, so any one of them can block it.
At several meetings of EU ambassadors, Slovakia has opposed an extension, demanding that Usmanov and Fridman be excluded and that the six-month cycle be kept. Bratislava made the same demands during the previous extension in March. EU ambassadors are due to meet again on September 14 to reach a political agreement before September 15.
Discontent over Paris's position is growing amid an escalation of hybrid threats in Europe, including a recent attempted drone attack at Germany's Leipzig airport, The Moscow Times notes.
Earlier in March, The Insider and other outlets reported a leak of phone conversations between then-Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Russian officials. The publication indicated that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Szijjarto to push harder for the lifting of sanctions on Usmanov's sister, Gulbakhor Ismailova. Shortly before that, it emerged that the Hungarian authorities and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had advocated lifting sanctions on Usmanov himself.