During the vote on July 15, Slovakia continued to block EU’s proposed 18th sanctions package against Russia, despite prior expectations of unanimous approval.
Slovak representatives demanded exemptions regarding the EU’s planned phase-out of Russian gas and called for a postponement of the vote.
“The representative of the Slovak Republic was instructed to request a postponement of the vote on the 18th sanctions package today, taking into account the position of Slovak politics,” said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in a statement after the meeting. He cited concerns regarding the gas exit strategy. The solutions proposed by the European Commission were “unacceptable” and “moronic”, said Fico. Slovakia opposes the EU’s plan to halt Russian gas imports by 2028, however, in a letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the government in Bratislava is prepared to negotiate an exemption from the deadline.
Exemption requested until 2034
“The best solution would be to grant Slovakia an exemption that would allow it to fulfill the contract with the Russian gas company Gazprom until the end of 2034,” said Fico. “The European Commission currently rejects this in principle, as the implementation of this proposal would undo the essence of the anti-Russian sanctions.”
The proposed sanctions package includes new restrictions targeting Russia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chains, financial intermediaries assisting in sanctions evasion, and components essential for drone and missile production.
Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the Commission, acknowledged that the negotiations had reached an impasse, but remains optimistic that an agreement could be reached this week.
As the sanctions imposed by the EU must be agreed unanimously, the veto of a single country with a population of 5.5 million is preventing the package from being implemented. At the end of June, Slovakia and Hungary rejected the initial draft, delaying its adoption. Both countries are considered to be the EU members closely aligned with Putin and also the most dependent on Russian gas imports.
Slovakia’s resistance coincides with the EU’s efforts against ships and traders suspected of circumventing price caps and export restrictions on Russian oil and LNG. Germany has also been taking more vigilant action against the shadow fleet since July: Authorities question eastbound tankers near Fehmarn about their insurance cover against oil pollution damage
