EU weighs compromise over Usmanov sanctions amid warnings of ‘dangerous precedent’ - FT
EU officials have proposed a compromise that would keep Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov on the bloc’s sanctions list while lifting some restrictions on him, prompting warnings from several member states that the move could set a “dangerous precedent,” the Financial Times reported.
The proposal comes after France and Slovakia blocked a 12-month extension of EU sanctions against Russia, forcing the bloc to renew the measures for just one week while diplomats seek a deal.
Ireland, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, and the European External Action Service proposed keeping Usmanov on the sanctions list while potentially lifting an asset freeze and travel ban, according to the FT.
Germany and Italy indicated they could support such a compromise, while other member states questioned whether EU sanctions should be eased to accommodate individual countries’ national interests.
A separate group of countries warned that weakening individual restrictions could undermine the sanctions regime and create a precedent for other sanctioned Russian oligarchs challenging EU measures in court.
“If member states start unpacking sanctions and taking off sharp edges, it creates a legal precedent which would be very useful for other oligarchs fighting EU sanctions in court,” one EU diplomat told the FT.
France is seeking sanctions relief for Usmanov as part of negotiations with Azerbaijan over the release of several French citizens held there.
Paris had previously described its request concerning Usmanov only as a “specific national security issue.”
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