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EU ambassadors failed to extend sanctions against Russia after Slovakia and France pushed to delist oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, according to RFE/RL. The impasse highlights growing divisions within the EU over the scope and duration of sanctions targeting Russia's wealthy elite. France has since clarified that its request to remove Usmanov from the EU sanctions list is tied to a national security issue and a request from international partners, rather than a broader softening of its Russia policy. The explanation offers some insight into the motivations behind the push to delist Usmanov, though it does not resolve the underlying disagreement holding up the broader sanctions renewal. The episode continues to expose fault lines among EU member states over how to balance sanctions enforcement with other diplomatic and security considerations.