France Risks EU Sanctions Collapse in High-Stakes Russian Blacklist Row

The diplomatic impasse deepened on Friday as EU member states gathered to salvage the expiring measures. Despite a previous one-week extension granted to avoid a total collapse of the sanctions framework, discussions remain deadlocked. The situation grew more complex when Luxembourg echoed the French demand, insisting that if one oligarch is delisted to satisfy Paris, a second individual favored by Luxembourg must also be removed to balance the scales.

While Slovakia has aligned itself with the French position, EU officials view Bratislava as an insufficient force to block a renewal if Paris decides to back down. With no further deadline extensions on the table, the bloc faces a choice between significant legal concessions or the unprecedented failure of its primary punitive tool against Russia. Diplomats confirmed that Friday’s session concluded without a resolution, leaving the fate of the sanctions to be decided in final negotiations on Monday.