Renewed dispute in EU over Russia sanctions

European Union member states are struggling to reach an agreement on extending the bloc's sanctions on Russia, a spokesman for the current Irish Council presidency reported on Monday. This indicates a renewed disagreement over the matter, as the members cannot agree to extend punitive measures against approximately 3,000 individuals, entities, and companies for an additional year. The existing measures are set to lapse on Tuesday.

Agreement on the extension was only reached for a brief seven-day period, extending until midnight on September 22. Further discussions on contentious issues are expected to take place before then. According to information obtained by DPA, the dispute is rooted in Slovakia's demand to remove EU sanctions against Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

Slovakia has reportedly threatened to obstruct the extension of all punitive measures unless Usmanov is removed from the sanctions list. Diplomats suggest that Slovakia has recently received support for this stance from France. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is said to have forwarded a letter from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, expressing advocacy for Usmanov. The letter allegedly highlights Usmanov's role in opening Turkic states toward the West.

German prosecutors have been investigating Usmanov for suspected violations of the Foreign Trade and Payments Act and possible sanctions violations. However, these proceedings were ultimately dropped following a €10 million ($11.6 million) fine. Other EU states have been unwilling to support Slovakia's demand due to concerns that lifting sanctions on Usmanov might embolden other Russians to file lawsuits.