France Seeks to Lift EU Sanctions on Usmanov to Free 2 Citizens in Azerbaijan
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 22
France Seeks to Lift EU Sanctions on Usmanov to Free 2 Citizens in Azerbaijan
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 22
Summary
France is blocking a new EU sanctions package on Russia while pressing Brussels to remove Alisher Usmanov from the bloc’s blacklist.
The French push is tied to efforts to secure the release of two French citizens held in Azerbaijan, according to the report.
Usmanov, a Russian-Uzbek billionaire, was sanctioned by the EU shortly after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, when the bloc described him as “one of Vladimir Putin’s favorite oligarchs.”
The move puts France at odds with the EU’s broader Russia sanctions policy and links a high-profile sanctions decision to a consular dispute involving Azerbaijan.