France explains why it wants EU sanctions on Russian oligarch Usmanov lifted
France supports increasing sanctions pressure on Russia and supporting Ukraine, while its demand to lift EU sanctions on Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov is linked to a national security issue and a corresponding request from international partners.
Source: European Pravda correspondent, citing French diplomatic sources
Details: France is one of the countries most actively involved in putting pressure on Russia, but Paris's call for Alisher Usmanov to be removed from the sanctions list is linked to a specific national security issue.
"France is one of the countries most actively involved in increasing pressure on the Russian war machine by all possible means," a source told European Pravda.
One of the diplomats said that France is equally actively involved in supporting Ukraine.
"We have a separate issue related to national security, and we would like to respond positively to our international partners who have approached us regarding Mr Usmanov," the diplomat explained.
Background:
- On 11 September, EU ambassadors once again failed to agree on extending individual sanctions over Russia's aggression because of demands from Slovakia and France to make changes to the lists of sanctioned individuals.
- The deadline for extending these sanctions is 15 September.
- The restrictive measures targeting individuals were last extended on 14 March. On that occasion Slovakia also pushed until the last minute for the Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov to be removed from the list.
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