EU fails to extend Russia sanctions a day before they expire

European Union ambassadors failed on Monday to reach the unanimous agreement needed to extend individual sanctions against Russia, leaving asset freezes on more than 3,000 people and entities at risk of lapsing when the measures expire on Tuesday, September 15.

The Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) convened an extraordinary session in Brussels at 9:00 a.m. on September 14 but could not reach consensus, according to European Pravda, citing three EU diplomats. Ambassadors agreed to reconvene later the same day, though the time for the follow-up meeting had not been set.pravda+1

France and Slovakia Block Consensus

The deadlock centers on demands from Slovakia and France regarding the sanctions list. Slovakia has insisted on the removal of Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, a position Bratislava has maintained for months and pressed again during the last renewal in March. France joined the push to delist Usmanov on September 11, framing the move as a political compromise that could bring Slovakia on board.billionaires+1

The French position caused what diplomats described as "huge frustration" among other member states, according to Euronews reporting cited by Meduza. France proposed removing only Usmanov from the list, while Slovakia continued to demand both Usmanov and Fridman be delisted.meduza+1

Most other EU countries opposed removing anyone from the list while Russia continues to strike civilian targets in Ukraine. One diplomat told Politico that "against the backdrop of growing hybrid threats and Russian drone attacks just 1 kilometer from the Polish border, it is difficult to believe that France is really pursuing this".unn

What Is at Stake

The individual sanctions regime, which provides for the freezing of assets tied to Russia's violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity, will automatically expire if all 27 member states do not agree to renew it by September 15. The measures cover more than 3,000 individuals and legal entities, most of them Russian nationals.censor+1

A separate point of contention involves whether to extend the measures for six months, as has been customary since 2014, or shift to a 12-month renewal cycle. Slovakia is reported to oppose the longer term.billionaires+1

Usmanov, an Uzbek-born billionaire with a fortune built across metals, mining, and telecommunications in Russia, was added to the EU sanctions list in March 2022 over what the bloc described as close ties to President Vladimir Putin. He challenged his designation at the EU's highest court and lost. In December 2025, German prosecutors dropped a separate investigation into suspected sanctions evasion after Usmanov paid authorities in Munich approximately €10 million.billionaires