France's veto shakes Europe: "Russia gets a prize"

France has vetoed the renewal of European sanctions against Russia, demanding the removal of oligarch Alisher Usmanov from the list in exchange for the release of French citizens held in Azerbaijan. The European Union extended the sanctions by only one week to allow further negotiations, while senior EU officials complain about a lack of transparency from France and warn that the move constitutes a "prize" for Russia.

France has vetoed the renewal of European sanctions against Russia, demanding the removal of oligarch Alisher Usmanov from the sanctions list in exchange for the release of French citizens held in Azerbaijan. According to three sources briefed on the negotiations, the proposed deal is delaying the European Union's efforts to renew sanctions against approximately 2,600 individuals and entities imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As a compromise, EU member states agreed to extend the sanctions regime for only one week to allow further talks. Earlier on Monday, France and Slovakia vetoed a full 12-month renewal of the sanctions as long as Usmanov remains on the list. Senior officials from other EU countries complained in closed discussions that France is not sharing sufficient information about why it is pushing for Usmanov's removal from the list. A senior European diplomat said: "This means not only that Russia gets a prize, but also that there is a prize for imprisoning Europeans." If the deal goes through, it would be the first time that prisoner release is explicitly linked to easing sanctions imposed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

France's veto shakes Europe: "Russia gets a prize"