Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has stated that Slovakia will only lift its veto on the European Union’s eighteenth sanctions package against Russia if the bloc agrees to let Slovakia continue purchasing Russian gas through 2034. He criticized the European Commission’s plan to end Russian gas imports after 1 January 2028 as unrealistic and called for a specific exemption to be included in the sanctions text.
Fico pointed out that energy policy decisions like this do not require unanimous approval, meaning the Commission could move forward with its proposal without Slovakia’s agreement. However, according to Fico’s office, the Commission sent a letter offering certain guarantees in exchange for Slovakia’s support. These guarantees were reviewed by leaders of all major Slovak political parties, most of whom found them insufficient or meaningless.
The prime minister accused his political rivals of supporting the sanctions and the early end to Russian gas imports solely for political gain, regardless of the potential harm to Slovakia’s energy security. In response, Fico instructed Slovakia’s delegate to request a postponement of the vote on the sanctions package, in hopes of allowing all political factions time to reach a consensus.
Fico’s preferred outcome would be for Slovakia to receive a formal waiver, enabling it to fulfill its current contract with Russian energy company Gazprom until it expires in 2034. The European Commission first introduced the eighteenth sanctions package on 10 June, targeting Russia’s energy, banking, and defense sectors. On 17 June, the Commission followed up with a proposal to ban all Russian gas and LNG imports by the end of 2027, pending approval from EU member states and the European Parliament.
