According to sources cited by Aktuality, Slovakia lent its support to Hungary’s proposition during an EU Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting in February.

The issue of lifting sanctions on Usmanov was purportedly a subject of negotiations between Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar, and their Hungarian counterparts during a meeting in Budapest in December 2023.

Slovakia’s reported support for Hungary’s initiative appears to be part of a larger exchange of diplomatic favours.

Allegedly, Slovakia sought Hungary’s assistance in advocating for the exclusion of Joseph Gambalek, a businessman linked to the Russian motorcycle club “Night Wolves,” from the EU sanctions list.

In return, Hungary requested Slovakia’s support in securing the removal of several other Russian individuals from the sanctions list, including Arcadiy Volozh, founder of the Russian company “Yandex,” Sergey Mndoyants, an advisor to the Kremlin on EU relations, as well as Usmanov, former Formula-1 driver Nikita Mazepin, and Russian billionaire Vyacheslav Kantor.

While it is claimed that Volozh and Mndoyants were indeed removed from the sanctions list alongside Gambalek, the situation regarding Usmanov, Mazepin, and Kantor has provoked significant discontent within the EU.

Despite the reported efforts of Slovakia and Hungary, the EU has opted to maintain sanctions against these individuals, signalling a division within the bloc regarding the handling of Russian sanctions.

The alleged involvement of Slovakia in supporting Hungary’s bid to lift sanctions on certain Russian figures raises questions about the motivations behind such diplomatic manoeuvres.

With tensions between the EU and Russia persisting, particularly in the aftermath of the conflict in Ukraine and ongoing geopolitical struggles, the issue of sanctions remains a sensitive topic within European politics.

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