Disagreements persist within the European Union over sanctions on Russia

A spokesperson for Ireland, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Council, said on Monday that member states were unable to reach an agreement on extending the bloc’s sanctions against Russia, signaling a renewed dispute over the issue.

The spokesperson stated that members failed to agree on extending the punitive measures imposed on approximately 3,000 individuals, entities, and companies for a full year, as these measures are set to expire tomorrow, Tuesday.

Instead, an agreement was reached only to extend them for seven days, until midnight on September 22, with further talks scheduled on the contentious issues before that deadline.

According to information obtained by the German news agency dpa, the disagreement stems from Slovakia’s demand that the European Union lift sanctions against businessman Alisher Usmanov.

Slovakia is reportedly threatening to block the extension of all sanction measures unless Usmanov’s name is removed from the list.

According to diplomats, Slovakia has recently received support for its position from France.

Conversely, other EU countries have expressed reluctance to back Slovakia’s request, arguing that lifting sanctions against Usmanov could provide other Russians with grounds to file lawsuits.