The European Union's latest attempt to adopt the 18th package of sanctions against Russia has been thwarted by a Slovak veto, Reuters reports.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has vowed to continue to block the package. He explained Bratislava's position by referring to the European Commission's (EC) plan to completely cut off gas supplies from Russia by January 1, 2028.
"The Slovak Republic will never support RePowerEU in the area of gas supplies, as it will harm Slovak households and the economy, and will further reduce the competitiveness of the entire European Union," Fico said in an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
He noted that he realizes that his country cannot veto the European Commission's initiative, so Bratislava will demand a postponement of the vote on the 18th package of sanctions until the risks associated with gas supplies from Russia after 2027 are eliminated.
According to Reuters, the Slovak Prime Minister wants to obtain an exception for his country, which would allow Slovakia to maintain the current contract with Gazprom until 2034.
