An inconvenient truth: Why the EU could lose twice to Alisher Usmanov

The bloc’s case against the tycoon was built on sand and its media industry has had to amend thousands of articles The EU is divided over a deal to un-sanction Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov. Brussels’ allies in Kiev aren’t happy, but the alternative – a legal showdown – could call the bloc’s entire sanctions regime into question.Ambassadors from EU member states met on Monday to discuss Usmanov’s case. According to Euronews, France pushed for Usmanov’s removal from the blacklist, in exchange for Azerbaijan freeing two alleged French spies.Ireland, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, proposed that Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, another Russian businessman, be delisted on the condition that the EU renew its anti-Russian sanctions regime for 36 months instead of the usual six.After a second round of talks on Monday that stretched into the night, EU envoys failed to agree to remove Usmanov and Fridman from the list. Meaning no agreement has been reached on extending the bloc's sanctions.Usmanov is at the centre of a discussion that could undo a central pillar of the EU's personal sanctions policy.Why was Usmanov sanctioned?A highly successful entrepreneur in the final years o...