Who are Osmanov and Friedman, the Russian oligarchs that France helped remove from the EU's sanctions list?
The European Union is expected to lift the sanctions on two high-profile Russian oligarchs - Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Friedman. Slovakia led the push, but it was France that held the new round of sanctions extensions hostage, reportedly to secure the release of two French prisoners held by Azerbaijan.
Both Osmanov and Friedman have an extensive history as top Kremlin-connected businessmen, servicing the country's financial flows, financing defense sector assets and supporting Russia's war effort.
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