EU fails to agree Russia sanctions rollover with one day to spare
Ambassadors need to reach a deal on Monday or sanctions will expire.
EU nations struggled to extend a critical Russia sanctions regime on Monday, with just one day remaining before the program expires. Three EU diplomats revealed that ambassadors will convene later on Monday for more deliberation. The sanctions, which target the assets of around 3,000 individuals and companies, would have ended on Tuesday had the agreement not been reached.
Slovakia insisted on removing two Russian oligarchs, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from the sanctions list. France proposed a compromise, suggesting only Usmanov be removed. However, most other countries were unwilling to consider any delisting while Russia continues to launch missiles at Ukrainian civilian targets near Poland.
This has made the French request seem unreasonable to some observers. The debate also centers on whether to extend the sanctions for six months, as has been the norm since 2014, or for a full year. Slovakia is not prepared to support a longer period.
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