---
title: "France Explains to Ukraine for the First Time the Lifting of Sanctions Against Alisher Usmanov"
description: "France explained to Ukraine the motives for lifting EU sanctions from Alisher Usmanov in exchange for a three-year extension for other listed individuals."
date: 2026-09-27T15:40:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/france-explains-to-ukraine-lifting-sanctions-usmanov
tags: [sanctions, eu, france, ukraine, alisher-usmanov, mikhail-fridman]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# France Explains to Ukraine for the First Time the Lifting of Sanctions Against Alisher Usmanov

![French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot explaining Paris's position on sanctions](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/27/frantsiya-obyasnila-ukraine-snyatie-sanktsiy-s-usmanova/frantsiya-obyasnila-ukraine-snyatie-sanktsiy-s-usmanova-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- France explained to Ukraine the reasons for removing Alisher Usmanov from EU sanctions.
- Paris proposed changing the sanctions extension mechanism from 6 months to three years.
- Ukraine sharply criticized the EU decision regarding Usmanov and Fridman.

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.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Франция впервые объяснила Украине снятие санкций с Усманова](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/frantsiya-vpershe-poyasnila-ukrayini-znyattya-1790522907.html) - Официальные заявления министра иностранных дел Франции Жана-Ноэля Барро.
- [Париж добивался снятия санкций с Усманова ради освобождения Азербайджаном двух заключенных ...](https://strana.news/news/512651-pochemu-frantsija-dobivalas-snjatija-sanktsij-s-alishera-usmanova.html) - Альтернативные версии и кулуарные детали переговоров.
- [Франция выступила за снятие санкций с миллиардера Усманова](https://ru.themoscowtimes.com/2026/09/11/frantsiya-vistupila-za-snyatie-sanktsii-s-milliardera-usmanova-a205948) - Детали изменения сроков продления санкций.
- [Послы Евросоюза согласовали снятие санкций с Алишера Усманова и Михаила Фридмана](https://finance.mail.ru/article/poslyi-evrosoyuza-soglasovali-snyatie-sanktsij-s-alishera-usmanova-i-mihaila-fridmana-69229060/) - Решение по послаблению санкционного режима.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why did the EU lift sanctions against Alisher Usmanov?
**A:** According to the French Foreign Ministry, this was done as a compromise to establish a three-year validity period of sanctions for the remaining persons.

### Q: How did Ukraine react to this?
**A:** The Ukrainian side opposed this concession and criticized the European Union's decision, promising to offer a new approach.