Slovakia sets conditions for supporting 19th EU sanctions package against Russia
Photo: Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico (Getty Images)
Slovakia will support the 19th package of sanctions against Russia if the European Union includes Bratislava’s demands in the summit’s final documents, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico reports.
Fico made these remarks during the European Affairs Committee in parliament before departing for the EU summit.
According to him, Bratislava managed to have its own wording included in the draft decisions of the upcoming summit of EU leaders.
The issue concerns wording related to the energy and automotive industries, which were previously the key conditions for Fico’s support of sanctions against Russia.
At the same time, the Slovak prime minister emphasized that sanctions are not effective. According to him, despite the restrictions, Russia continues to achieve “better results on the front.”
As is known, the EU is currently preparing the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, which has already been significantly delayed.
What Fico meant
When speaking about the wording on energy and the automotive industry, Fico most likely referred to the bloc’s controversial bans in these sectors.
Bratislava is seeking to overturn the EU’s decision to ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) after 2035.
Since the automotive industry accounts for around 10% of Slovakia’s GDP, it is economically disadvantageous for the country to comply with such EU obligations.
Notably, Slovakia cooperates with Volkswagen, Kia, and Jaguar Land Rover. The country’s plants assemble models such as Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, Seat, Kia, and Jaguar Land Rover.
EU demand to abandon Russian energy
Bratislava still purchases oil and gas from Moscow despite the EU’s efforts to phase out Russian energy resources.
The country also closely cooperates with Russia in oil refining, making it economically unprofitable for Bratislava to abandon Russian energy sources despite calls from its EU and US allies.
It should be recalled that earlier, Robert Fico stated that Bratislava would block sanctions against Russia “if there is a sanction that would harm us, I will never vote for it.”
At the same time, the EU promised Slovakia good alternatives to Russian energy resources. And recently, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced new energy agreements with Bratislava.
