ON SEPTEMBER 22ND France accomplished something that Viktor Orban, Hungary’s former leader, had attempted for years without success. It strong-armed(强行施压) the European Union into lifting sanctions on Alisher Usmanov (pictured), a Russian-Uzbek oligarch(寡头) with close ties to Vladimir Putin. French diplomats said they wanted Mr Usmanov spared(放过，豁免) for reasons of “national security(国家安全)”. In fact, getting the oligarch exempted was a condition of a secret deal France had negotiated with Azerbaijan to release French citizens it had detained.(事实上，让这名寡头获得豁免，是法国与阿塞拜疆秘密谈判达成的一项条件，以换取阿方释放其扣押的法国公民。)
9月22日，法国做成了一件匈牙利前领导人欧尔班多年来尝试却始终未能成功的事。它强行迫使欧盟解除了对阿利舍尔·乌斯马诺夫（见图）的制裁。此人是俄罗斯裔乌兹别克寡头，与普京关系密切。法国外交官称，他们希望放过乌斯马诺夫是出于“国家安全”考虑。事实上，让这名寡头获得豁免，是法国与阿塞拜疆秘密谈判达成的一项条件，以换取阿方释放其扣押的法国公民。
Mr Usmanov was removed from the sanctions list along with Mikhail Fridman, a Russian oligarch. After France made its demand, Luxembourg had taken the opportunity to tack on(附加，添加) Mr Fridman, who was pursuing an arbitration(仲裁) case over frozen assets that could have forced the microstate(微型国家) to pay him $16bn. With the entire package of Russian sanctions scheduled to expire the following day unless it was unanimously approved by the EU’s member states, the rest of them caved in.(由于整套对俄制裁方案若未获欧盟成员国一致同意，将于次日到期，其余国家最终只能让步。)
乌斯马诺夫与另一名俄罗斯寡头米哈伊尔·弗里德曼一同被移出制裁名单。法国提出要求后，卢森堡借机把弗里德曼也加了进去。弗里德曼正就冻结资产提起仲裁，可能迫使这个微型国家向他支付160亿美元。由于整套对俄制裁方案若未获欧盟成员国一致同意，将于次日到期，其余国家最终只能让步。
Why Azerbaijan was so devoted to Mr Usmanov is not clear, though he is said to be friendly with Ilham Aliyev, the country’s strongman(强人，铁腕人物) president. But Azerbaijan’s desire to squeeze concessions out of(从……榨取让步) France stems from the increasingly bitter animosity(敌意，仇恨) between the two countries. France is a long-time backer of Armenia, and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, vocally supported the country during Azerbaijan’s recent wars against it.(法国长期支持亚美尼亚，法国总统马克龙在阿塞拜疆近年对亚美尼亚的战争中曾公开声援亚美尼亚。) After the Armenians’ defeat in 2023 France began selling them weapons.
阿塞拜疆为何如此为乌斯马诺夫出力，目前尚不清楚，但据说他与该国强人总统伊利哈姆·阿利耶夫关系友好。不过，阿塞拜疆想从法国身上榨取让步，源于两国间日益激烈的敌意。法国长期支持亚美尼亚，法国总统马克龙在阿塞拜疆近年对亚美尼亚的战争中曾公开声援亚美尼亚。2023年亚美尼亚战败后，法国开始向亚美尼亚出售武器。