---
title: "Azerbaijan Emerged as a Key Lobbyist for Lifting EU Sanctions on Usmanov: Diplomatic Channels and Interests in Central Asia"
description: "RBK-Ukraine found that Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey lobbied for the lifting of EU sanctions on Usmanov. Kyiv demands national restrictions as an alternative."
date: 2026-09-23T12:56:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/azerbaijan-lobbist-lifting-eu-sanctions-usmanov
tags: [azerbaijan, usmanov, eu-sanctions, central-asia, fridman, ukraine, erdogan, aliyev]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Azerbaijan Emerged as a Key Lobbyist for Lifting EU Sanctions on Usmanov: Diplomatic Channels and Interests in Central Asia

![Akhmed Usmanov in a business suit amid EU sanctions relief talks and Azerbaijan's diplomatic lobbying](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/azerbaidjan-lobbist-snatiya-sankcij-ec-s-usmanova/azerbaidjan-lobbist-snatiya-sankcij-ec-s-usmanova-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey supported the lifting of EU sanctions on Usmanov, as confirmed by a letter from Erdogan to Fico
- Usmanov is regarded in the region as an unofficial ambassador linking Central Asia with Europe, and uses these channels for lobbying
- The decision on Usmanov became part of a broader sanctions review that also affected Mikhail Fridman
- Ukraine opposed the decision and proposed introducing national restrictions as an alternative
- There are discrepancies in assessing the initiator: RBK-Ukraine points to regional lobbying, while strana.news points to a bilateral deal between France and Azerbaijan

According to an RBK-Ukraine investigation, Azerbaijan played one of the central roles in advancing the issue of lifting EU sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. As emerged from a letter by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the position on Usmanov was officially supported not only by Baku, but also by Astana, Bishkek, and Tashkent. Thus, a broad regional consensus formed around the Brussels decision, which, according to diplomatic sources, became one of the key factors influencing the final vote in the EU Council.

### Unofficial Ambassador and Regional Patron

In Central Asia and the Caucasus, Usmanov has long been perceived not simply as a Russian oligarch, but as a sort of unofficial ambassador and patron linking the region with European capital markets. According to an RBK-Ukraine source in the diplomatic circles of one of the region's countries, it was precisely these long-standing contacts and investment commitments that could be used as a channel for advancing the sanctions-lifting issue. "The reason is that Usmanov has invested heavily in Central Asia and shares common interests with the family of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. And he uses this channel to lobby for the lifting of sanctions," the diplomatic source explained. Thus, Usmanov's business empire, spanning telecom, metallurgy, and the IT sector, became not only an economic but also a diplomatic asset for which concessions in sanctions policy were willing to be made.

### Broader than Usmanov: Review of the EU Sanctions List

The decision on Usmanov was not isolated. It became part of a broader review of sanctions against Russian businessmen, at the center of which also stood Mikhail Fridman, who was excluded from the same list. Both cases sparked heated debate in European capitals: on one hand, a number of states argued for the need for a "flexible" approach to preserve negotiation channels, while on the other, critics pointed to the risk of creating a precedent in which sanctions pressure could be neutralized through regional lobbying efforts. Including two such influential figures in the "white list" in a single review cycle, analysts believe, significantly altered the balance in the EU's sanctions architecture.

### Kyiv Opposes: Strengthening, Not Weakening

Ukraine took a sharply negative position toward the Brussels decision. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly stated that against the backdrop of ongoing escalation by Russia, Europe should strengthen, not weaken, sanctions pressure. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha proposed a concrete alternative: if Usmanov and Fridman are excluded from the overall EU sanctions list, a number of member states should impose their own national restrictions against them. This argument effectively shifts responsibility for "gaps" in the sanctions regime onto national governments, while leaving the formal decision with the EU Council.

### Contradictory Data

Open sources contain discrepancies in assessing who exactly was the initiator and main driver of the sanctions lifting. RBK-Ukraine emphasizes the role of Azerbaijan and Central Asia as a lobbying channel through which Usmanov advanced his position. However, the publication strana.news offers a different version: according to their data, it was France that sought to lift sanctions on Usmanov in exchange for Azerbaijan's release of two prisoners, indicating the existence of a separate bilateral Paris–Baku deal, not reducible solely to the billionaire's regional interests. Thus, we have at least two parallel lines of pressure: regional (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey) and bilateral (France–Azerbaijan), which likely intersected and reinforced each other but are not identical in motivation.

### What This Means for EU Sanctions Policy

The combination of regional lobbying efforts and bilateral diplomatic deals demonstrates that the EU sanctions regime is vulnerable to targeted pressure from third countries not involved in the conflict. For Ukraine and its allies, this creates a systemic risk: each new "release precedent" can be used by subsequent subjects as an argument for similar demands. At the same time, for Central Asia and the Caucasus, lifting sanctions on Usmanov means preserving investment flows and business ties, making the region a de facto hostage to his business interests within the framework of European sanctions policy.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Usmanov Found a "Channel" for Lifting EU Sanctions through Azerbaijan](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/usmanov-znayshov-kanal-znyattya-sanktsiy-1790167882.html) - Основной источник: письмо Эрдогана Фицо, анонимный дипломатический источник, инвестиции Усманова в ЦА, позиция Зеленского и Сибиги
- [RBK-Ukraine: Azerbaijan and Turkey Supported the Lifting of EU Sanctions on the Russian Billionaire ...](https://news.am/ru/news/1063511) - Ретрансляция материала РБК-Украина с подтверждением участия Азербайджана и Турции в лоббировании
- [The Price of Compromise: Why the EU Excluded Usmanov and Fridman from the Sanctions List](https://ua.news/ru/world/vid-lvova-do-kremlia-shcho-vidomo-pro-rosiiskikh-oligarkhiv-fridmana-i-usmanova-z-iakikh-es-zniav-sanktsiyi) - Контекст более широкого пересмотра санкций, включение Фридмана, аналитика по санкционной архитектуре ЕС
- [Paris Sought to Lift Sanctions on Usmanov in Exchange for Azerbaijan's Release of Two Prisoners ...](https://strana.news/news/512651-pochemu-frantsija-dobivalas-snjatija-sanktsij-s-alishera-usmanova.html) - Альтернативная версия: двусторонний торг Франция-Азербайджан. Не противоречит, но дополняет и частично расходится с нарративом РБК-Украина о региональном лоббизме

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Which countries, besides Azerbaijan, supported the lifting of sanctions on Usmanov?
**A:** According to a letter from Erdogan to Slovak Prime Minister Fico, the position on Usmanov was also supported by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey.

### Q: Why was it in Azerbaijan's interest to lobby for the lifting of sanctions on Usmanov?
**A:** According to an RBK-Ukraine diplomatic source, Usmanov has invested heavily in the region, shares common interests with the family of President Ilham Aliyev, and is regarded as an unofficial ambassador linking Central Asia with Europe.

### Q: How did Ukraine react to the EU decision?
**A:** President Zelenskyy stated that Europe should strengthen, not weaken, sanctions pressure. Foreign Minister Sybiha proposed that countries that did not support the overall decision introduce national restrictions against Usmanov and Fridman.

### Q: Are there discrepancies in assessments of who initiated the lifting of sanctions?
**A:** Yes. RBK-Ukraine emphasizes regional lobbying through Azerbaijan and Central Asia. The publication strana.news points to a bilateral deal between France and Azerbaijan, linked to the release of two prisoners. Both versions may be true simultaneously, indicating parallel lines of pressure.