House Democratic leaders openly oppose Graham Russia sanctions bill
The Democratic leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives is openly opposing a sanctions bill targeting Russia that is expected to come up for a vote this week, although not all Democrats appear ready to follow that line, Axios reported on Sept. 15.
The European Union is demanding explanations from France after the country pushed for the release of a Russian-Uzbek billionaire from the bloc's sanctions list. Ambassadors were unable to reach an agreement on Monday concerning the removal of mining and metals tycoon Alisher Usmanov from the sanctions blacklist during a closed-door meeting known as Coreper.
The European officials are giving Paris a week to provide assurances that the delisting won't lead to a fracturing of restrictions on Moscow. French officials have acknowledged that the move is due to a "specific national security issue" and a desire to respond positively to international partners seeking his release. However, EU diplomats remain skeptical about the move, given Russia's recent strikes on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and threats to neighboring countries.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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