Bloomberg: France demanded the lifting of sanctions against Usmanov for the sake of a deal with Azerbaijan

France has pressed European Union (EU) member states to lift sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov as part of a prisoner release deal with Azerbaijan. Bloomberg reports this, citing sources.

According to the agency's interlocutors, who wished to remain anonymous, France's demand has slowed down EU efforts to extend sanctions against more than 2,500 individuals and entities in connection with the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022. It is clarified that on September 14, representatives of the European Union agreed to temporarily extend the measures for a week to give more time for negotiations.

As the publication notes, the introduction of EU sanctions requires the support of all member states of the bloc. This means that measures are often relaxed and entire packages and their extensions are delayed due to individual countries' demands for certain exceptions, often related to their national interests.