{"text":[[{"start":12.2,"text":"France is lobbying EU countries to lift sanctions on Uzbek-Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov as part of a prisoner release with Azerbaijan, according to people familiar with the matter."}],[{"start":23.2,"text":"The proposed deal to release several French citizens held in Azerbaijan is holding up EU efforts to renew restrictions against about 2,600 individuals and entities imposed in response to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, three people briefed on the negotiations told the FT."}],[{"start":39.8,"text":"As a compromise, EU countries have agreed to a one-week extension of the sanctions regime in order to continue negotiations. France and Slovakia earlier on Monday vetoed a full 12 months renewal unless Usmanov was spared, three other officials told the FT. A failure to reach agreement by Wednesday would have delisted all other Russian nationals and companies."}],[{"start":61.08,"text":"France’s unexpected request stunned fellow EU diplomats, with one describing it as “astonishing”."}],[{"start":67.08,"text":"The French hold-up underscores the transactional nature of EU foreign policy, where collective decisions can be derailed by national vetoes. Until recently, however, successful requests for delistings had followed vetoes by Viktor Orbán’s Hungary and Robert Fico’s Slovakia — the EU’s most Russia-friendly governments."}],[{"start":85.44,"text":"France declined to comment on the alleged deal or on French nationals being held in Azerbaijan."}],[{"start":90.52,"text":"The foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan did not immediately respond to requests for comment."}],[{"start":96.36,"text":"A French diplomat said France has “a specific national security concern and wishes to respond positively to our international partners who have approached us regarding Mr Usmanov”. Paris remained “one of the most committed to . . . increasing pressure, by all means available, on Russia’s war machine,” the diplomat added."}],[{"start":113.88,"text":"The proposed prisoner swap, which is not final, is contingent on securing approval from all 27 EU member states to remove Usmanov from the list."}],[{"start":123.16,"text":"Slovakia supports removing Usmanov, people familiar with the discussions said, but a majority of countries remained opposed during talks on Monday. That prompted the decision to agree a one-week negotiation extension, the people said."}],[{"start":135.04,"text":"Luxembourg has backed rolling over the EU sanctions, but indicated that if Usmanov is delisted, then it also wants Mikhail Fridman, one of Russia’s richest men, to be taken off the sanctions list, two people familiar with the discussion said."}],[{"start":151.3,"text":"Officials in other member states have privately complained that France is not sharing information about why it pushed for delisting Usmanov."}],[{"start":156.86,"text":"“That would mean it’s not only a reward for Russia, but also a reward for imprisoning Europeans,” one senior European diplomat said."}],[{"start":164.46,"text":"Western countries have swapped prisoners with Russia and removed sanctions against some Russians during the war in Ukraine after they won court cases or distanced themselves from Moscow. A handful of so-called “political delistings” happened at the behest of Hungary and Slovakia."}],[{"start":180.32,"text":"But the proposed deal over Usmanov would be the first time a prisoner release would be explicitly tied to sanctions relief over the Russian invasion of Ukraine."}],[{"start":189.24,"text":"The EU has justified the sanctions against Usmanov on the grounds that the oligarch “has particularly close ties” to Putin and was considered to be among businessmen “who were entrusted with servicing financial flows but whose positions depend on the will of the president”."}],[{"start":204.48,"text":"Usmanov has disputed the EU’s grounds for the sanctions and filed numerous lawsuits in several European countries challenging the sanctions against him."}],[{"start":213.18,"text":"A spokesman for Usmanov did not immediately respond to a request for comment."}],[{"start":217.88,"text":"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged EU partners to renew the sanctions and not to provide relief to Usmanov and other Russian oligarchs."}],[{"start":227.04,"text":"“Russian oligarchs without whom Putin’s system is impossible to imagine must feel that there is no place in the world where they can live in peace and quiet for as long as this war continues,” Zelenskyy said on Saturday. Usmanov and his partners, he added, were “exactly the kind of Russian business figures who need to find the courage to take concrete steps against the war.”"}],[{"start":247.04,"text":"Additional reporting by Leila Abboud in Paris and Polina Ivanova in Berlin"}],[{"start":252.32,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1789454716_6188.mp3"}