Countries will have to give their agreement for the plan to go ahead by written procedure this evening — with an 8.00pm deadline for them to affirm. Ambassadors are consulting with capitals, but the arrangement is expected to go ahead, the three diplomats said.
France has cited “national security concerns” as the reason for the move, joining forces with Slovakia, which has long lobbied for Usmanov’s delisting. Luxembourg has long called for the delisting of Ukrainian-born, Russian-Israeli tycoon Mikhail Fridman, who is suing the country for the release of frozen assets.
France has declined to explain its motivations publicly or privately. Diplomats said only that the move relates to “a specific national security issue” and that Paris “wishes to respond positively to international partners who have approached us regarding Mr. Usmanov.”
Usmanov has consistently denied supporting Russia’s war effort and campaigned for his removal from the sanctions list, while Fridman has argued the seizure of his assets is unlawful.