Estonia demands answers from France over lifting EU sanctions on Russian billionaires
Margus Tsahkna, Estonia's Foreign Minister (photo: Getty Images)
France will have to explain its actions after pushing to lift EU sanctions on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said, Reuters reported.
According to the diplomat, he believes Paris's insistence sent the wrong message at the wrong time.
The media outlet noted that France shocked its allies in the bloc when it began pushing to lift sanctions on associates of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Paris cited national security concerns in an attempt to justify its position.
However, Tsahkna said he still did not understand what had actually happened or why the French authorities had pushed for the decision.
"One country put a very strong position on the table that these two people (Usmanov and Fridman — ed.) must be delisted, otherwise we're actually losing the sanctions regime... This is a totally wrong message... They need to explain themselves. There was no deep explanation," the Estonian Foreign Minister complained.
What may have influenced France's decision
According to Reuters, France came under pressure from Azerbaijan, where at least two French citizens are being held.
The media outlet's sources in the EU said that Paris had privately claimed that Baku was using Usmanov for "blackmail" in the case of the two detained French nationals. Azerbaijan, however, denied the allegations.
Usmanov has long been linked to luxury assets in Western Europe, including real estate on the French Riviera. In 2022, the EU imposed sanctions on him, adding the businessman to its sanctions list as one of Russia's wealthiest individuals.
At the same time, several European officials said France's position had put them in a difficult situation, undermined trust in Paris, and complicated Europe's efforts to form a united sanctions front against Russia.
On September 23, it emerged that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had pardoned French businessman Martin Ryan, who had spent ten years behind bars on espionage charges. He was released the day after Alisher Usmanov was removed from the EU sanctions list.
The European Union previously unexpectedly lifted sanctions on Russian oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha immediately responded to the decision.
Latvia's prime minister also explained for the first time why his country was unable to block the EU move despite trying to do so.
