Slovakia threatens to block new EU sanctions against Russia. What is the red line for the Fico Prime Minister
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico holds a press conference after a meeting with European Commission officials in Brussels, Belgium, on January 9, 2025. Photo source: Wiktor Dabkowski / Zuma Press / Profimedia
Slovakia will block any sanction imposed by the European Union against Russia that affects her national interests, said Prime Minister Robert Fico, after Parliament has adopted a resolution asking for the Bratislava government not to support other measures against Russia, reports Reuters.
Fico said that Slovakia wants to have a constructive attitude inside the EU, but has characterized the resolution as a political tool with a powerful message. “If it will be a sanction that affects us, I will never vote for it,” Fico said in a press conference.
Slovakia, a member country of NATO and the EU, has distanced from its Western allies on the subject of Ukraine under the coalition government of the nationalist left and stopped military aid for Kiev.
Fico was an opponent of Russia's sanction for the war against Ukraine, claiming that commercial measures affect Slovakia and the EU more than Moscow.
The new resolution, adopted in a meeting with a reduced presence, forces the members of the Government not to vote new sanctions and limitations of trade with Russia. It is unclear to what extent the resolution is mandatory from a constitutional perspective.
Fico said he would not support any extent to stop the import of Russian fuel for the nuclear power plants. “I am interested in being a constructive player in the European Union, but not to the detriment of Slovakia,” said Robert Fico.
Slovakia has not opposed any EU sanctions package so far, the 17th, the 17th, aimed at Moscow's “ghost”.
Attempts to hit Russia in the field of gas and nuclear have had obstacles, with opposition from Slovakia and other countries, such as Hungary, which still depends on the deliveries in Russia.
