After 6 vetoes, Slovakia agrees to 18th EU sanctions package against Russia
Slovakia has "achieved everything possible" in talks on guarantees against potential damage from an EU ban on Russian gas imports, the country's prime minister said.
According to TASS on July 18, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that Bratislava will not block the European Union from imposing sanctions against Russia, scheduled for July 18.
“Dear friends, at this point it would be ineffective to continue blocking the 18th package of sanctions tomorrow,” Prime Minister Fico said in a short video message posted on Facebook on July 17.
“All possibilities for negotiations with the European Commission to meet Slovakia’s demands for continued gas supplies at acceptable prices and in the necessary quantities have been exhausted so far. I instruct our representatives in the EU to clear the way for tomorrow’s adoption of the 18th package of sanctions against Russia,” the Slovak leader added.
Prime Minister Fico noted that, despite "threats, harsh words and criticism", Slovakia "vetoed the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia six times".
“To maintain our place in the EU, we have to survive this dark time in this international organization, which we consider to be no longer our living space,” said Prime Minister Fico.
According to the Slovak Prime Minister, Bratislava has received certain guarantees from the European Commission that in case of a Russian ban on gas supplies to the EU, it will be supplied with this energy material according to its needs.
“On July 17, we completed the first stage of the fight against the dangerous proposal of the European Commission to block any Russian gas supplies to the European Union from January 1, 2028. I repeat for the 1000th time that this ideological proposal, fueled by anti-Russian phobia, primarily harms the entire EU and Slovakia in particular,” the Slovak Prime Minister said.
