The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has for the first time presented official explanations to the Ukrainian side regarding the controversial decision to lift EU sanctions against Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov. Paris's position has caused widespread resonance in diplomatic circles and sharp criticism from Kyiv, which consistently opposes any easing of restrictions on Russian oligarchs who have been under sanctions since the beginning of the full-scale war.
New Sanctions Mechanism and Three-Year Extension
According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, the key motive for this step was Paris's desire to radically reform the procedure for extending personal EU sanctions. While previously restrictive measures against Russian citizens and companies had to be re-approved every six months, creating permanent legal and political vulnerability, the French side has now insisted on establishing a single three-year validity period for the main sanctions list.
Compromise for the Majority and Ukraine's Reaction
According to Jean-Noël Barrot, removing Alisher Usmanov from under sanctions became a sort of compromise to preserve and strengthen the general sanctions regime against nearly three thousand individuals and legal entities from the Russian Federation. The French Foreign Minister emphasized that Paris consistently advocated for tough measures, but during difficult negotiations with EU partners, it had to make targeted concessions. Official Kyiv, in turn, has already called this decision a painful precedent and promised to offer European partners alternative approaches to prevent similar situations in the future.
Contradictory Data
While official French figures explain the compromise by the need to stabilize the EU sanctions mechanism for the long term, independent sources and investigators in the European and Ukrainian press put forward alternative versions. In particular, the media actively discusses behind-the-scenes diplomatic maneuvers and possible backroom agreements by Paris, including geopolitical factors and the demands of third parties that could have influenced such an unexpected review of the sanctions status of Russian billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman.
