Slovakia will not support the European Union's new sanctions package against Russia and will demand a postponement of the vote until Slovak concerns about gas supplies after 2027 are resolved.
Points of attention
- Slovakia opposes the new EU sanctions package against Russia and demands a postponement of the vote until gas supply concerns after 2027 are addressed.
- Prime Minister Robert Fico is pushing for a postponement of the vote on sanctions until energy security issues are guaranteed.
- Slovakia and Hungary are against the proposed sanctions package that includes plans to stop importing Russian energy by the end of 2027, forcing both countries to seek alternatives.
Fico cynically demands postponement of vote on new sanctions package against Russia
This was stated by the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, reports.
Slovakia will not vote for the 18th sanctions package. We consider it to be one package (with a plan to stop imports), and until the fundamental issues are resolved, we cannot impose further sanctions.
Robert Fico
Prime Minister of Slovakia
Fico reportedly met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, but it is unknown whether this changed his position.
On the eve, Slovakia and Hungary opposed the proposed sanctions package due to their disagreement with the Commission's proposals to stop importing Russian energy by the end of 2027, which forces both countries to look for alternatives, the publication writes.
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar expressed his readiness to support the EU's proposed 18th package of sanctions against Russia if Brussels provides "energy security guarantees" and 20 billion euros in potential arbitrage risks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the next, 18th package of EU sanctions will affect key sectors of the Russian economy — energy, banking, and critical exports, and additional measures are also planned to combat the circumvention of EU restrictive measures.
