At a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, the bloc failed to agree on its 18th sanctions package against Russia. The package, meant to target Russia’s energy and defence sectors, was held up by Slovakia, which raised concerns over the RePowerEU proposal to halt imports of Russian gas by 2028.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) had earlier requested a postponement of the vote, citing unresolved objections at home. He argued that the plan would harm Slovakia’s energy security, and requested an exemption to keep importing Russian gas until 2034.
The European Commission responded with a written proposal, offering what Ursula von der Leyen called an “ambitious and comprehensive” action plan to support Slovakia’s transition. The proposed plan includes technical and financial assistance, a dedicated task force, and the possibility of an emergency mechanism to manage price shocks.
Despite these efforts, Slovakia refused to back the sanctions package. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was "really sad" about the failure but remained hopeful that a deal could be reached on Wednesday, adding that the “ball is now in Slovakia’s court.”
Meanwhile in Bratislava, opposition parties have accused Prime Minister Fico of mismanaging the talks and weakening Slovakia’s position in the EU. Freedom and Solidarity party leader Branislav Gröhling (SaS) claimed Fico was fighting the EU “like a student who doesn’t understand the curriculum,” while Progressive Slovakia’s Michal Šimečka (PS) accused him of embarrassing the country and backing Kremlin interests.
Source: TASR, Reuters, The Guardian
