EU sanctions against 3,000 individuals face expiration amid diplomatic deadlock

Approximately 3,000 European Union sanctions targeting individuals supporting Russia's war effort face expiration on September 21 unless a consensus is reached. Because EU sanction decisions require unanimity, the renewal process has become a point of diplomatic contention.

Slovakia has initiated a move to remove two Russian oligarchs, Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov, from the sanctions list. This effort gained support from France, creating a deadlock. Diplomats noted that an agreement might have been reached if not for France's involvement in the request to delist Usmanov.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticized the proposal to lift sanctions on these individuals, stating that it is not the time to protect Russian oligarchs or provide gifts to Russia. One diplomat described the high stakes of the upcoming vote, suggesting that the outcome will likely result in either no changes to the list, the removal of only the two specific individuals, or the total expiration of all 3,000 sanctions.